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JOINT COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND CHILDREN debate -
Thursday, 2 Feb 2006

Communications Masts: Presentation.

Today's discussion is with Ms Molly Moore, Mr. Con Colbert, Mr. John Ryan, Mr. Enda Dalton and Ms Helen McCrory of the Irish Electromagnetic Radiation Victims' Network on the adverse health effects of mobile phone masts. The delegation is very welcome. Shortly I will ask it to begin the presentation. The practice is that the presentation may take up to 20 minutes and we ask delegates to keep their comments within that limit. Members will then be free to ask questions and explore matters further. I invite Mr. Colbert to begin.

Mr. Con Colbert

I am secretary of the Irish Electromagnetic Radiation Victims' Network, IERVN, a group of people affected by radiation from mobile phone masts. Members of the IERVN thank committee members for giving them the opportunity to make this oral submission which relates to their experiences with microwave radiation, MWR, and the resulting harmful effects on, and reduction in, the quality of our lives. The issue we are discussing is not merely an Irish phenomenon but, apparently, a global one. There are people like us affected and suffering all over the world. I will begin with three quotations, the first from the WHO which states:

The enjoyment of the highest standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being. It aims at the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health, a level that would permit people to live socially, domestically and economically productive lives.

That comes from a 1995 document entitled, The Basic Facts About the United Nations. Taking that statement as a basic right, I am sure the stories members will hear from the delegates this morning will present a different picture. The second quotation is from the Chairman's preface to the report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. It states:

On a more serious note, there are citizens who suffer ill health from the use of mobile phone handsets or because they reside near a mast. The members of the joint committee have ample experience of meeting with and talking to those who are suffering.

The third quotation comes from a group of over 1,000 German doctors. It is from the Freiburg appeal and was signed by those doctors and approximately 35,000 others, many of whom are health practitioners. It states:

We have observed, in recent years, a dramatic rise in severe and chronic diseases among our patients ... On the basis of our daily experiences, we hold the current mobile communications technology ... to be among the fundamental triggers for this fatal development.

IERVN members are here to recount the daily experience of suffering endured as a result of exposure to the all-pervasive energy that is continually being emitted from mobile phone antennae. They experience physical pain, great discomfort, loss of personal health with a multitude of symptoms, damaged relationships, including separation, family disruption, and reduction in overall quality of life, domestic, social and economic. Some have had to move out of their homes, while others feel uncomfortable in them. Others have to move out temporarily, perhaps during the night or day. It can be difficult to find a place where radiation levels are not hazardous. For example, people's social life is disrupted. Social meetings, shopping, worship, eating out and visiting public offices can all present difficulties. Economically, some members are unable to work or contribute in any way to the local community. Those who can work do so part-time with reduced energy capacity. Overall, there is an absence of a sense of joy and contentment in their lives. The feeling is more likely to be one of depression as people can see no way out of their predicament.

In the written submission we have highlighted the cases of four individuals who are electrically sensitive. It may be useful to read them again, with those of others present, allowing people to tell their own stories, to which I will add. I will begin by reading a short account of Mr. Enda Dalton's experiences. He has suffered for over 20 years from sensitivity to MWR and had spells in four hospitals. However, despite intense investigations, nothing was found. Eventually, he discovered the source of the problem and took the precaution of screening his bedroom, with the result that most of the symptoms disappeared and others abated while in that room. It enabled him to get a night's sleep and awaken refreshed. He received the run-around from Departments, none of which showed any interest in taking his complaint seriously, again relying on the usual comments about there being no problem. Recently, he has purchased a screening curtain which has involved more expense to enable him to have some freedom to use another bedroom. His years of agony are not over, as he suffers severely when he encounters hot spots of radiation around the country and city. I have referred to the Freiburg appeal because the doctors concerned made special mention of people being unable to sleep or rest, meaning that their bodies cannot become recharged and ready for the following day. The radiation continues 24 hours a day.

Ms Margaret Cousins who is probably well-known by some here has had experiences with this problem since the middle of the 1990s. They began when she had to move from the family home. It was necessary to find a place of respite from the high levels of radiation in her locality. She moved from the family home, leaving her son and husband behind. She placed a mobile approximately 400 yards from her house and started to feel well. That sense of wellness lasted some months, prompting her to build a permanent home in the same location as the mobile.

The feeling of well-being experienced by Ms Cousins was short-lived as some weeks later she awoke one morning in a state of great agitation and distress experiencing the same symptoms as before, only this time they were much worse. She contacted her doctor who told her she was back to square one. After more than eight years of trying to get a reasonable response from politicians, national and local, the health board and the Department of Health and Children, her suffering and agony is ongoing. She has to find suitable sleeping accommodation every night, often moving from locality to locality to find a suitable area. She has had to move out of two homes. She has spent years going from house to house at night to find somewhere to sleep.

Relatives and friends have opened their doors to welcome her and are mystified as to why no one in authority has done anything constructive to help. In recent months she has rented a mobile home near Curracloe beach and sleeps there some nights. During the day she walks the beach as going back home is too uncomfortable and distressing. She has lived through a ten-year nightmare and suffering is ongoing.

Ms Helen McCrory is here with her son and daughter and they were forced to leave their inner city new apartment in Dublin due to the presence of antennae on the side of a shop in Mary Street, approximately 35 m from their bedroom windows. At one stage they attempted to screen out the radiation by using tinfoil. However, the tinfoil disintegrated in the window. This happened twice and a group of people came up to investigate, but there were no conclusions.

The family was temporarily accommodated in a bed and breakfast for some weeks in the Clontarf area and was then transferred to a second bed and breakfast for a further period. Following an increase in radiation levels in the area and after much representation a house became available in Clontarf for which Dublin Corporation and the health board undertook payment. The house proved satisfactory until antennae were erected on the side of a pub, the Dollymount Inn, about 80 m away.

All members of the family suffered in this house. Screening material was obtained which gave some respite. Nonetheless, the circumstances of the family are totally unsatisfactory. Outside the screened area, Ms McCrory, her son and daughter continue to suffer. The Clontarf area has levels of radiation that are extremely uncomfortable for anyone suffering from electrical sensitivity. This is another ongoing family nightmare which does not seem to have an ending.

My own experience, which is next on the list, occurred in Waterford in 1990. I felt very uncomfortable in the house and the garden. I moved around the garden and found that I felt better in some parts rather than others. I could not sleep anywhere in the house apart from downstairs in the living room on the floor. Even then I did not sleep properly. That puzzled me. I then began to ask questions and somebody told me that it might possibly be due to microwave radiation. I asked Deputy Woods to investigate and he wrote to the then Minister for Communications, Mr. Ray Burke, who said there was no problem. This was my first introduction to a 15-year run around.

The arrival of masts in Raheny — on the Garda station and the Sheiling hotel — without planning permission made matters worse. Letters to Ministers and utilities received the same dismissive replies, full of the usual assurances that there was no problem. Eventually, in order to get proper sleep and be free of the burning sensations, I had a chalet built at the end of the garden, where I now sleep, and purchased screening material. The recent location of antennae on the roofs of Raheny shopping centre and the Foxtown Inn has made matters worse, however. There is no escape because I am surrounded by masts. The consolation is that most of the time they appear to be turned down sufficiently to allow me to have a reasonable quality of life, especially in the garden. Some people experience problems inside houses because radiation is carried around the house by metal objects, including electrical wiring.

Ms Maura Dalton, who is quite unwell and cannot be here, suffers acute effects no matter where she goes. She lives in Dublin 8 but travels up and down to Tipperary where she has relatives. She feels quite ill there but as she is with relatives there is some consolation.

Ms Dalton has sought medical treatment in the UK and makes journeys to and from there in order to find some solution for her health problems. She shows a small degree of improvement while she is there, but her condition seems to deteriorate when she returns. Her life is extremely distressed at present. Some members of her family in Tipperary are also unwell.

The next case involves Rosemary and Pat Breen's family, in Kilbride, County Wicklow. Ever since the erection three and half years ago of a telecommunications mast and base station 100 m from their home at Ballard, Upper Kilbride, the family has experienced serious adverse health effects. These include restless and disruptive sleep patterns, hot red faces, digestive problems, numbness of the limbs, pins and needles, and in the case of their child, an inability to concentrate.

The family members complain that their energy levels have also been depleted. Initially the family had to leave the home and take rented accommodation for three months. On their return an expensive net curtain was purchased specially designed to block the radiation. While this has helped, it contributes to an abnormal lifestyle. They say the rest of their lives are ruined. They hate going back to the home and worry for the future haunts their lives.

The next case involves Ms Kilroy from County Kerry who has endured great distress for over ten years because of poor health. She sought medical help to no avail. By trial and error she found that she felt well in some locations but not in others. She was a violinist with one of the London orchestras, but had to give that up. When she discovered the source of her problem, she and her husband initiated plans to move and are in the process of repairing and restoring an old house nearer to the coast in Kerry.

Another woman, from County Kilkenny, felt quite unwell in her home. She experienced ongoing headaches and energy loss, poor concentration and general malaise. A mast was clearly visible about 1.5 km from her house. Power density in the area was more than three times the average background levels when I visited on one occasion.

Another case involves a husband and wife from County Laois who both felt unwell. They experienced disturbed sleep, continuous headaches and general malaise. A mast is located approximately 1 km from their home.

Mr. John Ryan, who is present, has suffered, as has his family, since a mast was erected about 250 m from their home. He will give an update on that in a moment. He has had to leave home regularly, especially at night, in order to get some sleep. He could only work for short periods at home. His case has been well documented in the media for over two years. It is a type of nightmare scenario no one would welcome. His neighbour has also reported adverse health effects.

Next is Mr. John Cummins, who is also present. Again, serious adverse health effects were experienced by family members, and disruption to family life. There is ongoing suffering when in the home. He notices an improvement in some locations, but generally has a poor quality of life as there is no way of predicting what he may encounter from day to day. This is one of the disturbing aspects of this phenomenon in that one does not know what one will meet around the corner.

A Cork woman, Imelda, who could not come today, has been suffering from electrical sensitivity for more than 15 years. Her first experience with radiation effects was in the United States. She experiences a variety of symptoms, pains in the thyroid area, palpitations, sizzling in the ears, pins and needles, a jabbing pain in the outer ear, short circuits in the brain and shocks. Some parts of her body are more affected than others. Wearing a tight aluminium helmet helps, sometimes, to cut out some of the symptoms. Her quality of life is generally poor.

Another woman, Dorothy, from County Cork, also has a reduced quality of life. She experiences much discomfort and would dearly welcome a consistent radiation-free environment. Holly, who is present, has had experiences similar to Ms Margaret Cousins. Four masts now surround her house, which is located in the middle. I have visited her home and experienced the same symptoms as she has. Life is pure hell for her. She will probably give the committee more details of her story.

Mr. Eddie Lee, behind me, has had major problems with his mobile phones. He has had to consult an eye and ear consultant who agrees with him that the phone is possibly the cause of the problem.

If we intend to finish within 20 minutes I will have to ask Mr. Colbert to hurry.

Mr. Colbert

I will finish in one minute. Mr. Tom Prendergast is a neighbour of Mr. John Ryan. He lives on the far side of the hill. He also sent in a letter and he has had many bad experiences with the radiation. Ms Frances Kenny was affected by a mast in Tymon Park in Greenhills, which has since been taken down. However, planning is being sought to put up another mast.

I welcome the delegation and I thank the committee for dealing with this important item. I believe the witnesses are the conveniently forgotten victims of this case, because the mobile phone business is very lucrative. Anything that will queer the pitch for those companies is put to one side.

Can Mr. Colbert explain to the committee the difference between the various types of radiation? At the moment, 3G masts are being erected throughout Dublin city, including in my constituency on Ardee Road. The Office of Public Works, under the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, is allowing this to happen. Why is it that the guidelines for the Department state clearly that these masts should not be erected on schools, yet this mast is being erected right beside a school? Can Mr. Colbert confirm that radiation travels laterally? In other words, it is probably worse if it is erected right beside the school. What are the effects on children? It seems to me that investigations such as the Stewart report state that the effects of radiation are more profound on children. These are technical questions, but the committee needs to get the facts on the effects.

The witnesses have indicated that they suffer in their own homes from these microwaves. Is there evidence that other family members have a different tolerance level? Do these waves affect people differently? Some of the facts that have been given are quite frightening. If one cannot work or cannot sleep, that will have a major impact. Have these problems definitely been linked to microwaves? What is the scientific evidence that this is happening?

Deputy Gormley referred to the different types of radiation. We use radiation to cure cancer and we also use microwaves in our homes. Is there evidence that the microwave in the home has had any similar effects on people? There is a degree of evidence that shows that animals will not graze in fields near masts. It was quite frightening to hear about the tinfoil curling up. The authorities seem to dismiss the idea that there is anything wrong with radiation and that is not acceptable. People who complain about radiation are often treated as if they are not compos mentis and that is regrettable. There are international studies which indicate that people who use mobile phones regularly and are subject to these waves have a 30% increased risk of developing brain tumours. We are encouraged to advise children not to use mobile phones and I am sure there is good reason for it.

I welcome the witnesses today. Mr. Colbert has certainly described very distressing experiences. Has research been carried out in Ireland to discover the extent of the problem? The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has been doing good work in County Wicklow on the detection of radon gas. We all use mobile phones. I am not clear on the extent of the electrical sensitivity Mr. Colbert described, as I have never heard about it before. Has any analysis been done on this aspect? Can Mr. Colbert give the committee the recommendations of the IERVN?

I was amazed to learn over the weekend that Vodafone and O2 made profits of €1.4 billion. That is a huge industry so it must be very hard for voluntary groups to take them on and match them in spending power. Thirty-five masts are erected throughout the country every month, which causes much concern in different communities. The problem is that there is no scientific evidence proving that masts are bad for people. When we go to meetings and people complain about masts, public representatives have a difficulty in making that point about the lack of evidence. I would not be surprised if a report came out in a few years' time showing problems. However, at the moment there is no report which proves the harmful effects of masts.

There is certainly a group of people who are sensitive to electromagnetic waves. If masts cause problems, what are ESB pylons in the countryside doing? Planners in every local authority face that difficulty when they deal with these applications. Sweden appears to be leading the way in research on this area and the group might have some information on that.

This week I rang Beaumont Hospital to find out was there any link between brain tumours and mobile phones. I was told that there was no proven link so far. The problem with medicine is trying to prove that something has caused a medical effect after the fact. Brain tumours are now being linked to viruses and increased alcohol intake by young people.

I was surprised to see that the Government makes €1 million per annum on renting out public land for the use of masts. A committee of high-ranking civil servants is compiling a report and one would have to wonder if a conflict of interests exists. ComReg is meant to regulate this area, yet it ran out of money towards the end of last year. If someone has a complaint about a phone mast, he or she is entitled to call ComReg which will check the emission levels from the mast. One often hears people complaining that when ComReg carries out inspections, the levels are satisfactory according to the WHO standards whereas those involved might feel that the true picture has not been seen. The frustrating part of this episode is that politicians must work within the current guidelines set by the WHO. Unfortunately, we are told, rightly or wrongly, that the emissions levels from the masts are within the guidelines. I am not sure how we can get around that problem.

ComReg needs to be beefed up and given extra resources and funding. The more research we can do in this area, the better for everyone concerned. I would have grave concerns about the long-term effects of the masts but the jury is still out on their harmful effects. They are a necessary evil given that there are 4 million mobile phones in the country. That is the difficulty we face.

I thank the delegation for its presentation. Some years ago, as a member of Sligo County Council, I was faced with a plethora of planning applications for telephone masts. At that time, the group of councillors involved carried out a thorough search of the world literature but the results were equivocal in that we could not find definitive evidence for or against.

Are certain people more sensitive to electromagnetic radiation than others? If so, how does one ascertain this? Is it discovered through the unfortunate person having the experience or are tests available to distinguish one person from another? I presume there is electromagnetic radiation in this room. Are the people in this room being affected? I thought looking at some of those present that this was so. How would one shield oneself from such rays? For example, I have a mobile phone, as do most members. Is it affecting the delegation as we sit here?

Ms Helen McCrory

Yes.

Mr. Colbert

It can affect some people

How does it affect us?

Mr. Colbert

The Deputy asked some questions and made some comments which reveal the complexity of the problem. This is not a simple black and white issue. I cannot answer all the questions but other members of the delegation will also answer.

Deputy Gormley and I go back a long way on this issue as Mr. Dalton and I visited Deputy Gormley in the Mansion House when he was Lord Mayor of Dublin many years ago. I cannot remember how many years ago it was but Deputy Gormley might.

With regard to Deputy Gormley's question on schools, I received an e-mail last night stating that an application for a mast had been turned down because its proposed location was just 150 m from a school in Littlehampton in Sussex. I retired from teaching some years ago. There is now an ESB mast just 150 m from my old school in Vernon Avenue in Clontarf. It might be of interest to know that the clinic underneath the mast appears to have closed down, although I do not know the reason for this.

I will defer to Mr. Dalton with regard to the different types of radiation as he probably has more expertise in that area.

Mr. Enda Dalton

Deputy Gormley asked about the different forms of radiation and what they consist of. I am not sure if the committee members understand radiation in any way but, generally, it is divided into two sets within a spectrum of electromagnetic waves, which are generated by literally shaking electrons in space. They are divided at the line where we see visible light. The lower side is called non-ionising radiation and the upper side is called ionising radiation. Ionising radiation is the radiation we refer to when we are talking about nuclear physics, X-rays and the like. Non-ionising radiation is more or less in the field of radio, television and telephones.

The spectrum is divided into frequencies. Each frequency has its own characteristics and is used for specific purposes. The frequency used by the mobile phone industry is approximately 900 MHz, which means 900 million oscillations per second. It is that frequency, which is highly penetrative and can penetrate 30 feet of concrete, to which we draw attention. The mobile phone industry uses this frequency because of its penetrative quality so that one can receive telephone calls inside buildings and so on. Unfortunately, it appears that this range of frequency is the most inimical to people as it appears to interfere with the cellular structure of the body.

Embedded in that frequency are lower frequencies used for control purposes at eight to ten Hz. These low frequency pulses refer not just to ordinary GSM but also to 3G and the ordinary analogue signal. They are used in all three as control signals and they are more or less in line with brain waves. Therefore, there is a conceivable possibility that everybody, not just those of us sitting at this table, could be in some way affected by this radiation. It is not a simple matter of saying that we are sensitive. Everybody could be affected.

The effect of radiation is often dismissed as unimportant. A transistor radio is not connected to a mains as it is powered by battery, yet it will pick up signals and convert them to music, speech or otherwise. If one examines that radio, one would find that every component in it is perfect but if one turned on a vacuum cleaner next to it, there would be a hum or a buzz from the vacuum cleaner although it is not connected to the radio by cable or wire. This is because of electromagnetic interference inside the transistor radio, despite the radio being in perfect working condition.

A similar process applies to people. If a person is sensitive, he or she will react to the energy in the atmosphere, which is literally like a blanket fog of heat waves all over that person. However, if one goes to a hospital or doctor — this highlights the difficulty of proving the connection with illness — one will be examined in a biological sense and told that the heart, liver, lungs and so on are perfect and that, therefore, one must be healthy. However, while it cannot be demonstrated that there is any biological problem, people are being affected just as a transistor radio is affected by an outside source. This points to the difficulty medical professionals have connecting one issue with the other but if one is a victim, as we are, one would have no difficulty. People feel this damn thing so badly, and it affects them so badly, that they ask: "What in the name of God is bothering me but not bothering other people?"

We notice what is happening to others. As Mr. Colbert stated, people are suffering from asthma, bronchitis, brain tumours, cancers and leukaemia. The medical profession cannot connect this to a mast down the road but we can because we see it from the point of view of sufferers and believe it is likely. Lately, the medical profession has begun to examine this issue. The Irish Doctors Environmental Association, of which we are members, is concerned about the fact that radiation of this nature can interfere with biological operations in the body.

We ask the committee to consider the possibility that there is an invisible cloak of energy that affects us and perhaps everybody on the planet, for all we know. The possibility must be examined. Somebody with the required knowledge must become involved and interested in the subject.

This is not supposed to be my presentation only. I realise I went on a bit but I was just answering Deputy Gormley's question.

Mr. Colbert

A question was raised about the effects on animals. I ask my colleague, Mr. John Ryan, to comment on this.

Mr. John Ryan

In 2004, the year following the installation of the masts on my land, five deformed calves were born, something I had never encountered before. Previous to this, Mr. Dan Ryan in Mallow, who scans my cows four to five times a year, considered my herd to have the highest fertility rate in the country and even wanted to document this on a website. Dr. Ryan is recognised as the most skilled scanning person in the country. He was astonished at the condition of the calves which, although they had gone to full term, were deformed. After testing them for BVD, brucellosis and so on, we were told the problem related to the central nervous system but could not be identified.

Since the direction of the link dish has been changed to face towards Hollyford, my neighbour, whose home is 2,000 m away, has had the same problems. Four calves were born on his farm which lived for five or six minutes before shivering, shaking and dropping dead. Following tests on the animals, he was also told the problem related to the central nervous system. My records show none of my animals has had BVD, brucellosis or anything like that for the past 50 years. They were clean as a whistle. All this came into play as soon as the mast was erected. All the wild animals in the area have disappeared. The only times I have seen them return was on the three or four occasions when persons from ComReg came to test the signal and the mast was turned down. I brought them down the road to show that the mast was virtually turned off. They said, however, that all they could do was bring back the results they got on the day.

As soon as the mast was turned on in March 2003, I got a shivery feeling all over my body and pressure in my head. I ran up to the mast and asked for it to be turned off but the workers said they could not do so. I did not know what to do. I am fine when I am a mile or a mile and a half away from it but once I go within that radius, I feel the effects. This continued for six months and I could only come home and milk the cows once a day before having to leave. My wife complained of severe headaches, which she put down to stress. We had awful problems.

After 12 or 14 days of ringing Vodafone, the company decided it would turn off the mast. The minute this was done, everything returned to normal. Vodafone's decision to change the direction of the link dish took six weeks to complete. Everything was fine while the mast was off for this six-week period and the company said it would do what it could to settle the situation. The minute it was turned on again, on 10 May, all the problems returned.

I consulted two doctors about my health problems and asked for a full assessment. Both concluded radiation was the cause of my difficulties. They wrote to Dr. De Sousa, the chief medical officer of the HSE south-eastern area. He examined me when I was admitted to hospital last October after collapsing some ten times on the farm. After being told something was affecting the rhythm of my heart, I was transferred to Cork where I was assured there was nothing wrong with my heart but that something was interfering with it and causing it to stop.

Throughout my 12-day stay in hospital, my blood pressure was normal at 120/80. Two days after being discharged, my doctor found it was back up to 190/110 and told me I will die if this continues. I was monitored for 24 hours and was told it was unbelievable I was not dead. After the results were sent to Dr. de Sousa, he wrote to the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources asking that the mast be turned off. In reply, he received a reprimand from Mr. Roger O'Connor and Mr. Tim McManus of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources for the embarrassment caused to the Minister by Dr. De Sousa's assertion that telephone masts were causing a problem.

I have sent the letters to the chief medical officer of the HSE, Dr. Jim Kiely. He telephoned me and informed me I have a severe problem. I said I would not have written to him if this was not the case. That is how the matter stands. We are in terrible trouble. My wife's difficulties began with headaches which she attributed to stress. With all the upset, she did not know what was going on.

I apologise but I remind Mr. Ryan that we have a number of questions with which to deal. I ask witnesses to respond to the specific questions.

Mr. Ryan

I apologise.

Mr. John Cummins

In regard to evidence of the effects on human health, little research has been done in Ireland. The Government has participated in no studies although it is aware of all the problems people throughout the country have had, including sensitivity, headaches, sleep disorders and fatigue. I will refer to some studies that have been conducted. In September 2003, the Dutch Government published a study undertaken by the Ministries of Spatial Planning and Environment and Health, Welfare and Sport. It found significant effects on well-being according to a number of internationally recognised criteria, including headaches, muscle fatigue and dizziness, from 3G mast emissions well below the accepted safety levels.

These are the safety levels to which the Government adheres, as set by the WHO and the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection, ICNIRP. The Governments of Italy, Switzerland, Russia, China and Slovenia have set maximum levels well below these guidelines because they do not believe they are safe. What is the Government's view of the fact that other countries, including some of our EU counterparts, take a more stringent approach than that set out by the ICNIRP and the WHO?

The emission levels are far too high in this country. Everybody has suffered different effects and I will not delay too long on mine. I am a financial adviser and work from home, where I was located 300 m from a mast. My wife suffers severe headaches and I have experienced a humming in my ear. An ear and throat specialist who diagnosed that I had 20% hearing loss asked whether I worked in a high-noise environment, such as a steel welding plant. My home is located directly in the path of the signal from the large transmitter. I have worries about my daughter. With no warning, she suffered a brain seizure during a visit to the United States five years ago. She was treated in the Arnold Palmer Hospital in Florida but the doctors there could not give a reason for what had happened.

I cannot say the mast is responsible for my daughter's illness but there is much evidence of a link between it and the health problems experienced by people in the area. In the past three years, more than 20 people living on the three streets adjoining the telephone mast have been diagnosed with cancer. Most of them have died. One person has Parkinson's disease and two have multiple sclerosis. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is aware of all this and I have brought it to the attention of the Department of Health and Children. Nobody has come to investigate my concerns for my community.

It is wrong that the Government has not investigated these cases. It is a national issue that must be addressed. In this context, I and some others formed a group called Better Environment and Safer Telecommunications, BEST. We are not anti-mobile telephone because we know the technology is here to stay. We are concerned, however, at the way in which it is being rolled out by the Government, at the expense of the health of many people. In April 2004, Dr. Jim Kiely wrote a letter on Department of Health and Children paper to the then Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dermot Ahern, in which he stated:

The research evidence that has been gathered over the last number of years indicates that uncertainties still exist about the potential impact of electromagnetic fields on human health. In such a situation, the precautionary principle should apply and the proposition that electromagnetic fields may have some possible effect on human health cannot be discontinued into the future.

The telephone mast near my home, which includes 13 different pieces of equipment, required no planning permission. Two primary schools in the town are directly underneath the mast and there is a secondary school on the opposite side of it. No "precautionary principle" has been applied. No precaution is evident when there is a mast overlooking children, whose skulls are so thin in diameter they can absorb 50 or 60 times more radiation than those of adults. When we met with Mr. Roger O'Connor from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, we asked that masts not be located within 1 km — or, as a compromise, 500 m — of any schools, crèches or other places children frequent. We also requested that Ireland's maximum permitted microwave emission levels be reduced and that a new system of reliable enforcement, with permanent and constant monitoring within each community, be introduced. Hence, we asked the Department to reduce emission levels in the same manner as Switzerland, Italy, Austria, China, and Hungary.

As for the issue regarding ComReg, one of the questions related to its financial limitations. Our group has a written statement from Dave Thom to the effect that ten telephone masts out of 4,500 were monitored from January 2005 to November 2005.

Were they monitored by ComReg?

Mr. Cummins

Yes. I have it in writing and the Deputy can check the figures for the year 2005 with the Department. This level of monitoring is poor. Moreover, the monitoring of those ten masts was carried out on foot of people's requests. Hence, monitoring ten telephone masts is not sufficient to make people feel that reliable monitoring is taking place. I received this information from Dave Thom, to whom I spoke personally.

We also asked the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources that people such as us who suffered health effects due to radiation emissions from transmitters should be recognised. We did not come before the joint committee for the good of our health. I left my house at 5 a.m. to appear before it. While I appreciate that it has given us an opportunity to make a presentation, this is a national issue and people are suffering. I have a list which I will give to the committee. We travel around the country giving talks on telephone mast issues to groups that have invited us to so do. For example, I have a letter from a person in Dunsany, County Meath, showing that 12 individuals there have had treatment for cancer in the past two years. Dunsany is an extremely rural community and is not even a village.

We are shown evidence of such problems throughout the country. I can provide the details to the joint committee because I will not be able to outline all of them in this presentation. Why does the Government not check to establish whether this is a coincidence? As I stated, the studies are there in black and white for anyone to read. The study before me, which was published in April 2004 in the International Journal of Cancer Prevention, was based on medical records of people living within 350 m of long-established telephone masts and showed a fourfold increase in the incidence of cancer, when compared with the general population of Israel. Hence, higher incidences of cancer, or cancer clusters, occur around telephone masts. While we are aware that there are many causes of cancer — we do not blame telephone masts for all cancers — there frequently appears to be a higher incidence in pockets where telephone masts are located. My community, as well as communities in Fermoy, Meath, Navan and Dublin, can testify to this.

We will wrap up shortly because members want to attend the Order of Business. We also have a second presentation which will begin at 11 a.m. Hence, I ask the delegation to conclude.

Mr. Colbert

I ask that Ms McCrory, who appears distressed, be allowed to make a brief comment.

Ms McCrory

I am extremely distressed to be obliged to come before the joint committee because, although I am grateful that we are being listened to, telephones affect me extremely badly and there is a mast outside this building.

This issue affects me badly. I cannot sleep and felt very ill this morning before I came here. As Mr. Colbert mentioned, I was obliged to leave the apartment in which I lived in 1998. My son had nosebleeds, my hair fell out at the nape of the neck and my daughter's hair fell out. I sought help everywhere. I went to Trinity College, consulted doctors and asked everyone. I told them that there was something wrong with the building. I was hysterical in the house. An ESB representative examined the house and suggested that I get someone else to test it. I told him that there was a problem with the house and that it would be unforgivable for him to leave us in that condition, knowing how sick my family and I were.

I then had the house tested by Mr. Colbert and Mr. Dalton. They also pointed out the presence of the mobile telephone mast. I went to the building where the mast was located to make sure that it was affecting me and became absolutely hysterical as soon as I came near it. At that stage, I was obliged to move out of the house and I moved into a bed and breakfast. I stayed in the bed and breakfast for a year and a half because I could not find a space which was not near a telephone mast. Eventually, I found a place in Clontarf.

Previously, when still living in the apartment, I had pleaded with the mobile telephone company to turn the power down. I spoke to the girl from the mobile telephone company, who assured me that no other people were affected in this way by mobile telephones. I telephoned Dr. Tom McManus, who was the head of telecommunications at the time, as well as Dr. Steeven's Hospital. I asked him whether he thought there was something wrong with the building. I asked him whether radiation could be the problem and he replied that while the problem could be with radon gas, it was definitely not with radiation. I asked him how he could know that, as he did not know where I lived. He was not familiar with the building about which I spoke. I became very suspicious.

As already stated, I then moved into a bed and breakfast establishment and subsequently got the other house. My health, and that of my children, had deteriorated. After I moved into the house, I slept for a while. I did not leave the house because I could not cope with the mobile telephone masts outside. I cannot allow anyone near the house with a mobile telephone because I shake when badly affected by them. Moreover, telephone masts have made me electrically sensitive in that I conduct electricity. All plugs and heating must be turned off in the house. I was obliged to take that house because it was free from the signal. However, after a period of being able to sleep in the house, one night I awoke and my daughter and I became ill. I again became hysterical. I telephoned Mr. Colbert and told him that there was definitely another mast in the vicinity. While everyone stated that this was not the case, I insisted that there was and that the situation was the same as it had been in the apartment. It transpired that the bar across the road had hidden it underneath the window and I could feel it.

I am now unable to leave the house. For a time, I actually left the house at night to sleep in a car, with my family, up the road at the clinic on Vernon Avenue. I was obliged to tell the neighbours that I was sleeping there because they wondered why we were sleeping in the car. We were nearly attacked a few times. The neighbours then told me that, unfortunately, a mast was being erected over the clinic. Hence, in the past few months, since the mast was erected, I can no longer go there. I cannot remember exactly when that took place. I must leave the house every other night to get to sleep. I have a screen over my bed but it does not work. Although it is stated that there is no problem with telephones and masts, if anyone comes into my house with a telephone, I become aware of it. I shake uncontrollably because of telephones and masts. They are driving my family and me out of our minds.

Other people are similarly affected. The other day, I was obliged to telephone Wexford County Council because Margaret Cousins, who lives in Wexford, wanted me to come down and sit with her as she committed suicide. I have sleeping tablets in the house because sometimes the sensation feels so bad — it buzzes through one's head. The microwaves affect one continually. The top of my head and my brain continually pulsate. I cannot stop it.

Even yesterday, I could not get out of my chair and so I pleaded with Mr. John Moore in the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to turn the power down. He refused and said he could not so do. I phone him every second day, pleading with him, as do all the others who are affected. He told me that there was nothing the Department could do. I asked him whether he was aware that we were dying in our houses and if he would do anything to help us. He replied that there was nothing the Department could do. With whom should we plead?

I went to a Garda station and told the officers there that I must use bus lanes because when I leave my house the problem hits me all the way. It is outside my door, it is on the Garda station, on the train station, on the coffee shop, on the bowling alley and extends all the way down the road. It hits me all the way. I showed the superintendent how bad I was. My sight and vision deteriorate, my head pulsates and I become extremely hoarse.

We must try to move on.

Does it help if the power is reduced? Mr. Cummins referred to other countries and stated that our levels are much higher. Should the joint committee examine the possibility of reducing them?

Mr. Cummins

Yes, because it would reduce the intensity of the signal. The signals are very strong here and it attacks one's entire immune system.

Mr. Cummins

As an illustration——

We must try to move on at this point.

Mr. Cummins

——one can get something for one's bedroom to shield out the high intensity microwaves——

The witnesses have discussed their personal cases, which have been informative——

Mr. Cummins

I know but I am talking to the country.

However, this committee is trying to establish what it can do.

Ms McCrory

The masts and telephones will not be taken away, which I can understand. We need——

We must try to move on. I ask the delegation to submit its recommendations as to what it wants the joint committee to pursue. Other groups have been kept waiting and I must try to move on.

Mr. Cummins

I will supply the list to the joint committee.

We will take IERVN's recommendations.

Mr. Cummins

I will give our recommendations to the Chairman.

As a follow-on——

Did the speakers mention that screening is needed?

Ms McCrory

People who are so sensitive to electromagnetic radiation that they can no longer cope with it need screening for their houses. The same situation occurred with Margaret Cousins and such suffering can lead to suicide. I asked Mr. Tom McManus whether the houses would be screened. He asked me whether I thought it would help and I said it would. I said that our houses should be screened because the phone masts were not going to be removed.

What does screening a house involve?

Ms McCrory

When I first became affected by electromagnetic radiation, there was nothing available to allow me to screen my house, but there are now devices available.

Mr. Dalton

I understand such screening takes place in Sweden.

Ms McCrory

There are special houses in Sweden for people like us.

Is it possible to get zones akin to the smoke-free zones which existed before the ban on smoking in public places?

Ms McCrory

There are no such zones. We should have respite breaks. We need screening for our houses. Such screening is already present in hospitals and houses in Sweden. If this does not work, those affected are taken to cottages in the country. However, we receive no help in this country.

We should invite ComReg before the committee as a follow-up to this meeting. ComReg was asked to monitor emission levels and the levels found were in accordance with WHO standards. However, people got the impression that the companies involved were aware that ComReg was due to inspect and, consequently, reduced emissions in advance. This is why it is so difficult for us, as politicians, to deal with the matter. When we contact ComReg, we are told that the sites have been inspected and the emissions are in accordance with WHO standards. However, we hear a different story locally, which is where the difficulty lies. ComReg only carries out ten inspections per year.

Mr. Cummins

ComReg introduced a pilot project in 2004 but in 2005, only ten inspections were carried out between January and November. ComReg will produce a report which states that emissions are considerably below the guidelines but they are considerably above guidelines in other European countries.

With regard to screening and developments in other European countries, how much does it cost to screen a house, school or hospital? Obviously, these countries recognise the need for such screening. Does Mr. Cummins have evidence regarding the effectiveness of the screening processes in these countries? Is there any visual impairment associated with screening?

Obviously every member of the delegation suffers from this condition to varying degrees. Is there any way in which people with this condition can be identified without having to experience the horrific consequences of coming into contact with a mobile phone? Is there any test for the condition? How can this syndrome be identified?

Mr. Ryan

A representative from Vodafone carried out a conductivity test on me, which involved sending signals through my hands. He was surprised to find that my hands did not release the signals. ComReg carried out the same test and came up with the same result. However, it did not take it on board. The representatives carried out the same tests on themselves and came up with figure of 1.60, which they claimed was normal, but my result was only 0.92, which meant that I retained most of the signals and electricity sent through me.

Did ComReg carry out this test?

Mr. Ryan

An engineer working for Vodafone carried out the first test, which was repeated by representatives from ComReg. I do not know whether this test can be carried out on other people but the results of my two tests were the same.

Was this test free of charge?

Mr. Ryan

It was carried out with a small machine used for testing whether there is a break in the wire. A current is sent through the wire and if it is unbroken, the signal will emerge on the other side. This test was carried out on me, although I do not know if it is relevant to other people.

Ms McCrory

Many people are affected.

Mr. Ryan

The two tests carried out on me produced the same result.

Is it an inexpensive test?

Mr. Ryan

It is inexpensive but I do not know whether it would work for other people. ComReg carried out the second test six months after the first test by Vodafone.

Mr. Cummins

In 1998, it was recommended the Department of Health and Children set up a committee to examine people who complain of sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation but this recommendation was ignored.

I call on Mr. Colbert to conclude matters.

Mr. Colbert

Does every member of the committee have a copy of our recommendations?

Mr. Colbert

I understand that the mobile phone companies insist on being notified of forthcoming inspections by ComReg. The levels at which they are transmitting generally conform to guidelines but these guidelines are no longer relevant. I have a document in my possession which I submitted in my original submission. The document was produced by 16 scientists who met in Catania in Italy in 2002 and should be available to every member of the committee. We have heard about screening curtains, which I have around my bed. Margaret Cousins is investigating a company from Liverpool which is due to screen her house. A pilot project involving the screening of her bedroom will be carried out at a cost of approximately €4,000. This includes the cost of travelling to Ireland, taking measurements and screening the room. This involves the use of specially treated wallpaper, paint and a screen for the windows. This project is ongoing.

Is it effective?

Mr. Colbert

That is a good question. We are attempting to discover if it is effective. The project will reveal whether screening is effective, ineffective or only partly effective. A Swedish scientist discovered that the cells in the islets of Langerhans were being interfered with, which I understand affects insulin secretion. When Mr. Dalton screened his room, he discovered that his blood sugar levels returned to normal but increased or decreased when he left the room. This means that a simple test can be carried out. A person's blood sugar levels can be measured before he or she is screened and then compared with levels measured after screening.

Ms McCrory

Heart palpitations can also be measured.

Mr. Dalton

Blood pressure can also be measured. Blood sugar levels, heart rate and blood pressure all rise dramatically if a person leaves a screened area.

Is every member of the delegation suffering from these symptoms at the moment?

Ms McCrory

Yes.

Mr. Colbert

I do not suffer from all of these symptoms.

Does Mr. Colbert's heart rate increase?

Mr. Colbert

Yes.

Does Mr. Colbert experience these symptoms throughout the day?

Mr. Colbert

Not all of us suffer from these symptoms throughout the day. Somebody asked whether sensitivity is a personal issue and the answer is "Yes". Each person reacts in different ways.

So this conductivity test will identify people who have this condition and the extent to which they suffer from it.

Mr. Ryan

I do not know. I was told I would be tested but not whether it would reveal I had the condition. However, the result of their test was 1.60, which they said was normal, while mine was 0.92. I do not know whether this is relevant to other people. I was told that I was retaining the signals.

I want to move on because there are people in the public gallery waiting to make their presentations. I thank the delegation for coming before the committee. We are very interested in the issue, will examine the recommendations and possibly invite ComReg to appear before us. We will keep IERVN informed about the outcome of such a meeting.

Mr. Dalton

Can I give a copy of my report to members of the committee?

Mr. Colbert

I thank the Chairman.

Sitting suspended at 11 a.m. and resumed at 11.25 a.m.
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