Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, to the House. I am glad of the opportunity to say a few words on the severe problem of radon gas. The comments of Senator Quinn and the Minister of State suggest the experience in Mallow and north Cork is now widely regarded as an example of how to investigate and, I hope, resolve the problem of radon gas.

I raised the issue of radon gas on a few occasions in the House because north Cork, including Mallow, which is very well known to me, is one of the areas where radon gas levels have been found to be excessively and dangerously high. As has been said by Senator Quinn, Cork County Council, in conjunction with Mallow Town Council and the RPII, has done extensive work over recent months to investigate radon gas levels and advise householders on the extent of the problem. I certainly welcome the initiative of the local authorities in this regard. That project in Mallow should be replicated in each local authority area. The statistics gleaned by Cork County Council and Mallow Town Council pertain to towns such as Mallow, Doneraile, Buttevant, Mitchelstown and Fermoy, all of which come within the parameters of the survey. The work was done on local authority housing stock.

We should encourage and instruct every private householder to obtain a radon testing kit and conduct a test on his own home. I believe the kits are relatively expensive. The householder can carry out the test himself once the kit is purchased. We aspire to have tests carried out throughout the country.

On planning ahead, I suggest to the Minister of State that every planning permission application should require the local authority in question to have knowledge of the radon level at the site in question. This would at least ensure the problem would be tackled. Radon poses a severe problem and unfortunately causes deaths. Unlike some cancer-causing agents, the radon problem can be resolved inexpensively. There are a number of systems in place to detect radon gas and resolve the problem it poses. At least there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Those carrying out tests on their properties can at least be consoled by the fact that detected problems can be resolved. Future housing projects, irrespective of whether they comprise apartment blocks or individual houses, should involve radon testing as a matter of planning policy, such that any radon problem that arises can be tackled.

The work of the RPII must be lauded, as must that of the local authorities that have taken the initiative, such as Mallow Town Council and Cork County Council. Their project was certainly positive and proactive.

Affected householders, when they receive letters from the local authority outlining the scale of the problem, can be frightened and concerned. They are concerned that, in some cases, the solution is not offered immediately. It can take months or even a full year. We have received commitments from Cork County Council, in particular, that the houses with the most severe radon gas levels will be subject to remediation immediately. Houses with severe but less dangerous levels are to be subject to remediation over the next 12 months or so. I welcome this but we need to reflect on and continue to remind people that the houses in question are simply those of local authorities. Thousands of private houses not only in north Cork but also in the rest of the country need to be tested also. We must try to encourage their owners to carry out the tests.

I thank the Minister of State for attending and my colleagues for organising this debate. It is part of the information campaign required to advise people on the radon gas problem. Significantly more could be done through television and newspaper advertising. By advertising the dangers of radon gas and the likelihood of it existing in certain parts of the country, we could simultaneously let people know that there is a relatively inexpensive solution whereby they can test their own properties, install this equipment and get results quickly. If a problem is found, there is a method to resolve it. We must work to encourage more people to have their houses tested and must insist that local authorities carry out a wide audit and check of their estates across the known black spots in the country.