Seanad debates

Thursday, 13 November 2008

Radon Protection Measures: Statements

 

12:00 pm

Photo of Paudie CoffeyPaudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House to debate this important item. We need to prioritise it at every level, not only at Parliament, but also in every agency with a role in raising the public awareness of the challenges posed by radon gas. Last week I attended the forum hosted by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland at the Royal College of Physicians. It was very informative and helped to improve public awareness and the response by agencies in areas where high levels of radon are identified. It is well known at this stage that Ireland has one of the highest levels of radon gas in the world, which is of concern. Higher levels have been identified in specific areas. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has done considerable groundwork in this regard. Its website contains very helpful maps of areas suspected to have high levels of radon.

The World Health Organisation acknowledges that radon gas is essentially a public health issue. The Health Service Executive also acknowledges this fact. People who smoke are 25% more likely to get lung cancer if exposed to radon gas, which presents a serious challenge that needs to be addressed.

I understand that the first reference level was set in 1990 at 200 Bq/m3, becquerels per cubic metre, for households. That was set before a household survey was carried out. Is that reference level adequate? Has it been scientifically proven that 200 Bq/m3 is the correct maximum level of radon to protect people's health and welfare?

While I mentioned the maps on the RPII website, they are not very detailed. They give large squares of coloured areas where it is suspected radon levels are high. With the modern measurement techniques that are available it is the responsibility of the institute to provide more accurate information to us. It might just be the first point of contact and give people an initial level of measurement. I know measurements are now being taken on a daily basis in many areas. These should be made available to the public so that people are aware of areas with high radon levels in their locality. The maps on the website indicate that east County Waterford, where I live, has very high levels of radon. Where tests were carried out by the local authority and by individuals, the levels were found not to be quite as high as indicated on the map. While I accept it may be hard to pin it down very accurately, we need to work in that regard. If we are to have adequate responses in areas where high radon levels are identified, it is essential to have very accurate and efficient databases showing those high levels. If we are to respond in an adequate fashion and put the resources where they are needed in a focused and specific way, we need factual evidence of high radon levels rather than the broad-brush indications on the maps before me.

It is quite simple to measure levels of radon, requiring the placement of a pocket-sized module. Over a period of three months it measures the radon gas levels. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland recommends that households should be tested. However, there is no obligation and it is left up to private individuals' awareness of the issue. The public need to be educated. I know some efforts have been made, about which I will talk later. However, there is not a great awareness of the dangers of radon gas. If people were aware, they would certainly take more notice.

Some people will recall the scares of the 1960s and 1970s regarding the problem of asbestos. It was used regularly in schools and other buildings here and in other countries. We eventually realised the dangers of asbestos and how it can contribute to lung cancer. Along with smoking it is one of the highest contributory causes of lung cancer. Radon should be put in that category if we want people to engage with the issue and be aware of it. After smoking, radon is one of the highest contributory causes of lung cancer. We do not hear as much talk about asbestos as we heard in the past 20 or 30 years. However, radon should be considered as the new challenge regarding lung cancer. If it achieves that kind of prominence, people will engage with it, as will authorities.

The reference level is set at 200 Bq/m3 for households and 400 Bq/m3 for workplaces. I am not a scientist and am unsure of the reason for the differential. I presume it is expected that an average person would spend twice as much time in the home as in the workplace. However, that may not be an accurate reflection of how people live and work nowadays. There are long shifts and workplaces that are constantly open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This matter needs to be reviewed to ensure we are using the appropriate reference levels. I would like the Minister of State to respond to that matter.

Employers have legal obligations to test their premises for radon, which is acknowledged in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act. The Minister of State mentioned that schools are also obliged to test. In referring to schools and other public buildings he stated:

Up to 1 March 2006 measurements were made in 241 premises throughout the country. That is the majority of the workplaces measured on foot of the recommendation made by the SCA.

I wonder whether a majority is acceptable. I would have thought that all public buildings and schools would need to be tested. That was in 2006 and we are now in 2008. If testing has not been carried out in public buildings and schools, it is essential for the Department to issue directions that all obligations for testing under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act be complied with. It is not sufficient to test only the majority. If people are being exposed in those circumstances, they have as much of a right as everybody else to be protected. That should be considered and the position should be improved.

I spoke briefly about public awareness earlier and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has played a major role in trying to raise awareness in this country. I commend its efforts as it has made contact with people through various agencies to raise public awareness, which is very important. I query the role of local authorities in the public awareness campaign, although at the radon forum last week a good example was given regarding a collaboration in north Cork. The Minister of State mentioned this in his speech. In Mallow, Fermoy and other places in the area, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, the HSE, the elected members of the local authority and the public worked in collaboration to raise awareness and define a systematic response to how they would address the radon levels identified.

Unfortunately, that is only one local authority area and many others around the country have no defined response mechanisms. I spoke to some senior officials in a number of local authorities when researching the matter. I asked them the role of the local authority in dealing with radon gas and I got a blunt but disappointing answer. They told me it has no role other than to ensure building regulations are complied with and the local authority housing stock has been tested and is being monitored for radon. There is significant potential for the local authority to play a much better role as it is a local government agency at the coalface.

I also asked if somebody rang a local authority inquiring about radon protection measures, would there be a contact to deal with such a request. There is not, although such a person would be referred to the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. Any elected Member, councillor or member of the public will call to a council office first if he or she has a concern or a query. Some system or resource must be put into local authorities so they can have a mechanism to respond to queries raised by the public. It is essential and the process should not be left in an ad hoc fashion, for local authorities to prioritise as they see fit. A guideline should be issued from the Department giving radon protection measures a high priority and the local authorities a role, either through guidelines or a statutory function. Something must be done to ensure there is prioritisation of radon protection measures in local authorities other than building regulations.

I am aware that since 1998, radon barriers are obligatory in new buildings. I question the quality of those radon barriers, although I know certificates are meant to be submitted to local authorities indicating the barriers are in compliance with regulations. I wonder how many are inspected. I suspect very few are. I also suspect very few radon barriers are up to the required standard. Even after radon barriers are installed, there is no requirement to test for radon in a particular household afterwards to determine the efficiency of those radon barriers. Action could be taken, even if it is only one test a year after a radon barrier was installed in a newly-built house. That would ensure the barrier is doing the job it is meant to do.

I could continue forever speaking about remedial and preventative measures. The problems from radon gas are easy to remedy so there is hope where high levels are identified. There are techniques, either through circulation of airflow or sumps and pumps in sub-floors, which can address the problem where high levels of the gas are identified.

I welcome the debate. We all have a role to play in raising public awareness of the threats of radon and the damage it can do to our health. The Government should, through guidelines, bring all the agencies under its umbrella and that of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland and perhaps use the example of Mallow and north Cork as a case study of a best practice model for other local authorities. That would bring about a responsive system to high levels of radon.

It is essential that such a system is put in place and continued resources and grant aid remains for areas where high levels of radon are identified. It is not good enough to put the same resources into every local authority. We should focus on the areas where high levels are clearly identified on the database and they should get the resources to respond adequately.

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