Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the continued threat to the health of families from radon gas and the expert medical view that this gas causes many deaths each year, he has plans for the introduction of a grants scheme that would assist householders to take remedial steps to safeguard their homes and install detectors that would warn when high levels of gas are present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22898/07]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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There are no plans to create a scheme of grant assistance for remediation of homes with radon levels that exceed the national reference level adopted by the Government in respect of houses. The Government's approach, which is similar to that of the majority of EU member states, is that our efforts are better concentrated on increasing public awareness of the risks posed by radon in the home.

The testing of houses for radon is a relatively straightforward and non-invasive process. It is also inexpensive, costing approximately €50. It would be difficult for a demand-led scheme of domestic radon grants to ensure appropriate and cost-effective targeting of remedial action. Furthermore, such a scheme could require significant public expenditure and administrative resources.

The Government, largely through the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, has for many years committed significant resources to assessing the extent of the radon problem throughout the country and increasing public awareness of radon and the health risks associated with prolonged exposure to high radon concentrations. Householders, particularly those in high radon areas identified by the institute in its nationwide survey, have been strongly encouraged to have their homes tested for radon and to undertake remediation works where necessary. There will continue to be a focus on enabling and encouraging householders to address monitoring and remedial requirements effectively and economically. Details of the survey can be found on the institute's website. The building regulations introduced by the Department in 1998 and updated in 2004 require all new buildings, including new houses, to incorporate radon protection measures at the time of construction. Technical guidance on radon remediation techniques is available in a booklet issued by the Department, Radon in Buildings — Corrective Options, which is available on the Department's website. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has issued a guidance document, Understanding Radon Remediation — A Householder's Guide, which is available on the institute's website, as is a list of companies that can provide a radon remediation service and offer specific advice and recommendations.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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It is interesting the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, is now responsible for answering questions about radon. This time last year, the former Minister, Deputy Roche, would have responded to a question about the matter. When the Green Party was in opposition, it joined the Labour Party in calling for the introduction of radon remediation grants. The answer that has just been given by the Minister of State is almost exactly the same as the response given by the former Minister, Deputy Roche, in June 2006. Given that it has had a policy of introducing a radon remediation grant scheme similar to that introduced by Deputy Stagg of the Labour Party some years ago, has the Green Party engaged in any negotiations about this issue with Fianna Fáil? Deputy Cuffe of the Green Party said a couple of years ago that "there is a moral imperative on the Government to assist those living in homes with high levels of radon". He called for the reintroduction of radon remediation grants. What is the current position? Will the Government reintroduce the grant scheme I have mentioned?

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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There have been a number of studies on this matter. A study that was conducted in a number of European countries pointed out, inter alia, that people who smoke or used to smoke are susceptible to increased levels of danger from radon. As I said earlier, this phenomenon was partially addressed in the 1998 building regulations. A cost-benefit analysis of the introduction of a grant scheme, which was conducted by the Danish Government a number of years ago, suggested that introducing such a scheme would by no means be the most effective means of dealing with this difficulty. The Government has targeted its investment at ensuring people know about the dangers and can access a scheme of testing to enable them to establish whether they have radon problems in their houses. Remediation measures are relatively inexpensive in many instances.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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I would like to hear the views of the Minister, Deputy Gormley, on this issue. Given that his party has consistently called for the reintroduction of the radon remediation grant scheme, I would like to know if that remains his position now that he is Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The Minister of State mentioned that smokers are at risk, but radon does not affect smokers only. I accept that smokers have a higher risk of contracting lung cancer if they live in a high radon area. According to statistics from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland and the National Cancer Registry, radon causes up to 200 deaths from lung cancer in this country every year. There is a real health risk associated with radon. To put it in context, approximately 70 people die from cancer of the cervix and approximately 800 people are killed on the roads each year. The Minister of State referred to a Danish study, but that is not a very good example because Denmark has a far smaller radon risk than Ireland. Seven European countries have radon remediation grant schemes and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has said that such a scheme would be very effective in Ireland. Is the Minister of State aware that a study conducted by the institute found that radon remediation measures were taken in just 10% of houses in which high radon levels had been identified? The institute has argued that the main reason for the low take-up is that such facilities are too costly for householders.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has decided to delegate this function to me, as well as some other functions.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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That is convenient.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of some of the points made by Deputy Tuffy. We need to decide which scheme will produce the best results as we try to address these difficulties. It is accepted that it is hugely important that we ensure people are aware of the risk of radon in the first instance. We should tell them not only that a radon test can be conducted relatively inexpensively, but also that advice about remediation measures is available. There is no consensus that radon remediation grant schemes have been successful in addressing the worst cases in those countries where they have been introduced. Most of the evidence suggests that the opposite has been the case.