Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 December 2004
233 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if funding will be made available to subsidise the cost of providing radon detector units in all houses in counties Sligo and Leitrim; the funding that is available at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31870/04]
View answerThe Government, through the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII, has committed significant resources to assessing the extent of the radon problem throughout the country and to increasing public awareness of radon.
During the years 1992 to 1999, the RPII carried out a national survey of radon in domestic dwellings aimed at assessing the extent of the radon problem in homes. The survey involved the measurement by the RPII of radon for a 12-month period in a random selection of homes in each ten kilometre square grid throughout the country. In all over 11,000 houses were involved in the survey carried out at no cost to the householder. Arising from that survey the RPII estimated that some 91,000 houses nationally have radon concentrations in excess of the national reference level of 200 becquerels per cubic metre. The survey also identified high radon areas. The RPII's website, www.rpii.ie, contains a comprehensive map of the high radon areas in Ireland as well as the report of its national survey of radon in homes.
The RPII has always encouraged those householders residing in high radon areas to use radon measuring kits, costing approximately €40, to establish radon levels in their homes, and where measurements are found to exceed the national reference level, to carry out radon remediation works.
In February 2002, my Department published a booklet entitled Radon in Existing Buildings — Corrective Options advising designers, builders and home owners on remediation options for reducing radon in existing houses to, or below, the national reference level.
Upgraded building regulations, introduced in June 1997, require all new houses commencing construction on or after 1 July 1998 to incorporate radon protection measures. The Department recently published an updated edition of technical guidance document C, TGD-D, on part C of the building regulations, site preparation and resistance to moisture, incorporating enhanced radon prevention measures for new buildings commencing on or after 1 April 2005.
