Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

As the Deputy is aware, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland and my Department have been active in promoting awareness of this issue. The Deputy is correct that the take-up of access to a cheap form of assessment has been disappointingly poor, as the RPII has noted. We will continue to press the issue of awareness of radon and encourage householders with radon concentrations to take remediation works. I am satisfied the information readily available to the public should encourage greater awareness of and concentration on the issue.

The Deputy referred to a scheme he announced in the mid-1990s. If he checks the record, he will find that no funding was allocated for it.

I agree with the Deputy that this is a serious issue. It is an issue that homeowners must take seriously. I wonder how many Members of the House, for example, have had radon testing carried out. I know that the RPII sent kits to many Members recently. I was at the institute recently, and it made the point that it is very cheap to have one's home tested and that it would be very prudent for people to do so. I will continue to encourage that to happen.

See this speech in context