Mr. Nigel Hillis:

With regard to health concerns, we accept the jury is out. No causative effect has been established that EMFs cause cancer and research is still ongoing on the basis of epidemiological evidence that suggests there is a link between childhood leukaemia and EMFs at a low level of between 0.3 and 0.4 microtesla. EirGrid has published a brochure entitled, "EMF and You" and while health is a serious issue, we would at least expect that the information in this would be correct and accurate. Page 18 asks what is the view of the Government and then goes on to quote from a review in March 2007 commissioned by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and a study that emanated from the Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser, which is now closed. The Department and this office may have been staffed by fine people but they are not the Government
The Chief Scientific Adviser states the Government's view as:

The Government decided that a single agency State agency be established to deal with both ionising radiation and non-ionising radiation. This will be achieved by extending by the statutory powers of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland to include responsibly for matters relating to non-ionising radiation. The Government has also agreed to establish a national research programme to undertake further scientific research in Ireland on the health effects of exposure to EMF. This research programme will build expertise in Ireland and contribute to global knowledge.

Those two promises have not yet been fulfilled. The transfer of responsibility to the RPII from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is in train but it has not happened yet.

The Chief Scientific Adviser's document states goes on to state: "In relation to EMF, that is electromagnetic fields, the reports states no adverse health effects have been established below the limits suggested by international guidelines." The document is clear that this statement only refers to electric fields and not to magnetic fields. With regard to the latter, he states: "There is limited scientific evidence of an association between magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia. This does not mean that magnetic fields cause cancer but the possibility cannot be excluded". He then claims: "It is simply not possible for the level of energy associated with power lines to cause cancer." I can assure the committee that the Chief Scientific Adviser did not stand over that statement.