Vol. 397 No. 6
37 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Energy the surveys which have been carried out by the Nuclear Energy Board or by his Department of the presence of radon gas in domestic dwellings and workplaces; the principal findings of these surveys; the recommendations which have been made; the action he proposes to take in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
75 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Energy when his Department first received information on the problem of radon in Irish housing; and the initiatives which have been taken to deal with the problem.
80 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Energy when his Department first received information on the problem of radon in Irish housing; and the initiatives which have been taken to deal with the problem.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 37, 75 and 80 together.
The existence of a problem of high radon levels in parts of Ireland was first brought to my Department's attention by the Nuclear Energy Board in 1988 following studies done by Dr. Jim McLaughlin of UCD. Dr. McLaughlin's survey indicated that approximately 2 per cent of Irish homes may have excessive radon levels.
It is only in recent years that the problem of high radon levels in homes has been identified, and research into the problem is at a very early stage. In order to decide on the approach to the problem in the Irish context, representatives of the Departments of Energy, Health and the Environment met with the NEB and Dr. McLaughlin on a number of occasions in 1988-89.
The first step in dealing with radon is the identification of the extent of the problem. The Government allocated an extra £60,000 in 1990 to the NEB for this purpose. The NEB in 1989 commenced surveys of 550 houses in Clare, Galway and Mayo. The preliminary results of these surveys confirm Dr. McLaughlin's results. Where houses are found to have higher than average radon levels, the NEB have recommended continued monitoring. I am informed by the board that the accurate measurement of the accumulation of radon is a lengthy process, and can take up to a year because of seasonal variations. The NEB now propose to extend surveys to other areas which may be affected and also to commence a survey of schools in consultation with the Department of Education.
