Communications Masts.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 November 2004

Tuesday, 30 November 2004

Ceisteanna (14)

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

67 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, further to Parliamentary Question No. 678 of 29 September 2004, if recent studies on radiation emissions recommend as a precautionary measure that telecommunications masts should be located in order that no direct beam falls on school property; the reason this and other recommendations are being ignored in this State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31407/04]

Freagraí ó Béal (17 píosaí cainte)

Mr. N. Dempsey

I am not aware of any national or international health advisory authority which has recommended that the siting of telecommunications masts should result in no direct beam falling on school property. It may be that some paper somewhere has made such a recommendation. If the Deputy can identify any such work I shall have my experts study it, after which I will make a further statement.

If any of the relevant international bodies to which Ireland belongs were to make such a recommendation, my Department would have to consider an appropriate response. To date, however, no such recommendation has been made and, therefore, none is being ignored in this State. This is because, in the continuing unanimous opinion of all the relevant international bodies, radio frequency fields around such masts are not considered a health risk.

The Deputy may wish to be apprised of a report in The Times of London dated 13 November 2004, which records a court of appeal decision that mobile phone masts do not pose a risk to public health that would justify a ban on positioning them near schools.

Mr. Gregory

I will apprise the Minister of the report to which my question referred. I understand it is the most recent report published on electromagnetic fields and radio frequency radiation. The Stewart report is an independent study commissioned recently by the Department of Health in Britain through its National Radiological Protection Board. I am a little taken aback that the Minister's advisers are not aware of it as it is readily available on the Internet and elsewhere. It is also the most referenced report ever produced on this issue.

The Stewart report concludes that "it is not possible at present to say that exposure to RF radiation, even at levels below national guidelines, is totally without potential adverse health effects". The reason is that research is not being done on the issue. As the report states, "the gaps in knowledge are sufficient to justify a precautionary approach."

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

It is not in order to quote at Question Time. The Deputy is giving information when he should seek it.

Mr. Gregory

Is the Minister aware, as noted in my question, that the Stewart report also recommends "that an independent random, ongoing, audit of all base stations be carried out to ensure that exposure guidelines are not exceeded"?

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

It is not in order to quote at Question Time.

Mr. Gregory

It also recommends that planning should be extra-cautious around schools as children are more susceptible to the effects of radiation and will be exposed to it over their lifetime. It further states that masts should be placed to ensure no direct beams fall on any part of school property.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Rather than refer to sources, the Deputy should ask the Minister a question.

Mr. Gregory

The Minister was not aware of the report in question, which left me with no alternative but to quote from it to assure him that the most recent reports——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Deputy should seek rather than give information. He is not in order.

Mr. Gregory

Is the Minister aware that research has been completed only on the short-term effects of radio frequency radiation from telecommunications masts? All interested bodies, including the World Health Organisation, which is currently carrying out a study to be completed in another couple of years, are unclear on whether long-term exposure to radiation below national guidelines will cause harmful effects. In that context, the recommendations to which I have referred have been made by the most recent——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Deputy continues to make a statement.

Mr. Gregory

I hope that they will be implemented in this country.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Deputy should put a question to the Minister.

Mr. Gregory

These masts are not surveyed at all in this country. They are-——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Deputy is again making a statement. The purpose of Question Time is to ask a question.

Mr. Gregory

Is the Minister aware that only a small number of masts in Ireland are actually audited for their emissions? I asked a number of questions about specific masts in Dublin city and the vast majority of the replies concluded that the masts had not been audited for emissions. Yet the most recent report states that there should be an annual audit of emissions.

Mr. N. Dempsey

Ireland participates on a number of international committees and organisations regarding non-ionising radiation from masts, telecommunications masts and so on. We could not possibly be expected to react to every report from every source. We work through these international organisations such as the World Health Organisation. There are a number of EU studies currently being undertaken, such as the Cost 281 evaluation. Having considered the latest research, all of the bodies have affirmed that there is no adverse health effect shown to be caused by non-ionising radiation at the guideline levels of exposure. The World Health Organisation fact sheet states that these telecommunications facilities are not considered to be a risk to health. Notwithstanding the overwhelming clean bill of health given to these technologies compared to other environmental risks which society willingly accepts, the Government has adopted a precautionary approach. This approach states that absence of proof of harm is not proof of absence of harm. By consensus among many countries, guidelines are established for safe levels of exposure to various kinds of electromagnetic emissions. They are set at levels that are many times less than the experimental levels at which no adverse effects have been established. We have adopted those guidelines in Ireland, especially the guidelines established by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection. We continue to participate in the work of the International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety, which sets standards in this particular area. ComReg has responsibility to ensure that the various licensed telecommunications operators work within the terms of their licenses regarding electromagnetic emissions.