Trevor Sargent
Ceist:209 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if a base station control unit causes a health and safety risk to patients and residents in a nursing home. [27459/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 9 November 2004
Ceisteanna (152)
Freagraí scríofa
I understand the Deputy to be referring to a mobile phone base station situated on an upper floor of premises which also includes a nursing home. The Deputy has asked a number of questions in recent months concerning mobile phone base stations generally and so he will be aware of my Department's policy in this area. Summarised, this is that no adverse health effects have been proven to have been caused by the kind of non-ionising radiation which is emitted from mobile phone base stations. Ireland participates in a number of international projects which conduct relevant research into this area and my Department continually monitors the latest research to ensure that we have the best and most up-to-date information.
Limits are set for the allowable electromagnetic emissions from installations such as mobile base stations. These limits are set some 50 to 100 times lower than the experimental levels at which no ill effects have been found. My Department participates in the international process which regularly reviews these limits and validates them as continuing to offer protection to the public. ComReg polices compliance with these limits through the operator licensing process and appropriate measurements.
In the particular case of an installation on the upper floor of a building, the aerials emit electromagnetic energy laterally away from the aerial installation. It is a fact that the position which receives the lowest emissions from such an installation is directly underneath it. In fact, the residents of the nursing home receive much more electromagnetic emissions from the wiring and the electrical appliances in the building than they do from the base station and such emissions are well within the safety guidelines.