Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Brady for allowing me to say a few words and welcome the Minister of State to the House. I would prefer to discuss issues such as fishing, farming and tourism because I do not know a great deal about radon gas. I confess, however, that the woman with whom I share a home has two devices for measuring radon gas, one suspended from a light fixture and another in the bedroom. She has much greater knowledge of the issue than I have. I await the results of the measurements which will become available after three months.

Radon gas is odourless, colourless and tasteless, which is alarming and a monkey on our back. As one who has never smoked, it is frightening to learn that long-term exposure to radon gas can damage health and cause cancer. The dangers of radiation from the masts being erected throughout the country to facilitate mobile telephone use and so forth are the subject of an ongoing debate in west Cork. This is not a parochial issue as the dangers of overhead power lines are also a major issue in the Meath-Cavan area. I speak as a layperson who does not have knowledge of the sciences but I am informed that these power lines emit radiation and some experts argue they can cause cancer. In my area, we had public meetings and a hue and cry about the possibility that these masts cause radiation. Is that the case?

Senator Brady referred to building regulations. Have these been enforced and has the Construction Industry Federation come on board? Has monitoring been done on the many houses built recently? If so, what were the results? Are health and safety officers trained to deal with this issue or is their role confined to dealing with the physical safety and security of workers? Does the Department have inspectors who are able to visit new housing estates to ensure radon protection devices are installed in homes? If not, the Department should ensure such inspections take place.

The €56 charge for installing radon protectors in the home is a wonderful idea, especially in blackspots such as Mallow. Local authorities such as Mallow Town Council, perhaps assisted by a departmental pilot scheme, should provide these devices at a reduced rate or free of charge to old age pensioners or people on social welfare. There are probably no more than 700 householders in the Mallow area who cannot afford the devices. Perhaps a pilot scheme has already been put in place.

Has the householder's guide to radon gas been distributed to all households? I remember, as a child of about ten, a booklet arriving at my home informing my family that we would have to board up windows and doors and use a cellar, if we had one, as a bunker in the event of a nuclear attack. According to the American propaganda of the time, we were at war with Russia and it could be necessary to hide, whether under a haystack or somewhere else. The booklet distributed to all households in the mid-1960s frightened the life out of me because I had not heard about the issue previously.

I am glad to contribute to this debate. Given that radon gas is a source of concern, perhaps we are not doing enough to address the problem. I ask the Minister of State to respond to the couple of points I raise, that is if they make sense because I confess that my knowledge of the issue is limited.