Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 November 2006
403 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the levels of non-ionising radiation that are internationally recognised as being injurious to health arising from mobile phones and masts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38965/06]
Amharc ar fhreagra404 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the areas where there is a risk of exposures to levels of electromagnetic emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38966/06]
Amharc ar fhreagra405 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the monitoring, checks and balances that are in his Department in order to assess the levels that the general public are subject to electromagnetic emissions from licensed telecommunication operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38967/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 403 to 405, inclusive, together.
Ireland has adopted European Union Council Recommendation of 12th July, 1999 on "the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz)", (1999/519/EC) and the guidelines established by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
Through a process of scientific review, including the leading international scientific and medical experts, ICNIRP have set these limits as those at which no adverse health effects can be found. For exposures to the general public these limits include an additional safety factor of a 50 fold reduction.
For efficient and effective networks, the signals must be present at all locations. I must stress however, that the international scientific and medical consensus is that no adverse health effects have been demonstrated to have been caused by electromagnetic fields, such as those emitted by mobile phones and telecommunication masts below the limits developed by ICNIRP.
In Ireland this limits are enforced for mobile and other telecommunications services, as appropriate, by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), which audits approximately 100 sites annually. In 2003 and 2004 ComReg conducted, in liaison with my Department, an audit of 401 sites. I can state that no site audited to date has been found to breach the limits. Indeed, measurements are typically less than a thousandth of the limits. To date over 12% of sites nationwide have been audited.
