David Norris (Independent)

This is turning into a bit of a Laois love-in and I am quite happy to participate in such an event. I welcome the Minister of State, who has been in and out of the Chamber very busily and very positively all day. I hope he will be able to be positive about this matter which is rather scientific and technical. It is the concern a number of people in Leixlip have about low-frequency microwave radiation emanating from masts used to broadcast mobile telephone signals and in particular a specific form of this that has been acquired by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for the Garda Síochána. There is a very significant mast attached to the Garda station in Leixlip which is within 500 m of a series of schools that contain 2,000 students.

There does not seem to have been any real research done and people are interested in a base level of research to understand what kind of impact such masts have. The fact that such radiation is unseen does not mean there is not a physical reality. The Minister of State may or may not have the experience I have had. Indeed, I just had it once more.

I have a small transistor radio, a little pocket wireless, on which I listen to the news. As I travel along the corridors of Leinster House it is frequently interrupted by various kinds of buzzing, whirring, whizzing, cheeping and so on. It can go off the air altogether. That indicates to me that various kinds of radiation are passing through the ether and also obviously passing through my body. Luckily, I have survived to the age of 65 and I may well go on for another little while. However, I am kind of settled in my ways. My skeletal structure is established and my brain, such as it is, is perhaps inured to these things. However, it does concern me that there is a physical presence and there may well be a physical effect. We are nowadays blanketed by wireless radiation.

As people were concerned about the matter, various distinguished eminent scientists were invited to address a local meeting in Leixlip. They included Professor Olle Johansson of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. This is a very prestigious world-ranking science institute. Also in attendance was Dr. Magda Havas who, like Professor Johansson, is an expert on the biological effects of low-frequency electrical and magnetic fields. Dr. Havas was invited by the city of San Francisco to prepare a report on this kind of radiation as a result of which San Francisco dumped the entire project. They at least took it seriously. She has been very strident in her criticism of this particular system that involves WiMax. She describes it as "Wi-Fi on steroids". That is a fairly highly coloured description from a distinguished international scientist.

Professor Johansson has had some worrying things to say. He has done research on the matter at the Karolinska Institute that examined the impact on children. As a result of his studies he felt there might be an effect, including increased rates of leukaemia and brain cancer. He also stated as a fact — not a speculation — that after only 45 minutes exposure rats obtained retarded learning and mice that had been exposed to the radiation became irreversibly infertile after five generations. I should not perhaps allow myself the following aside. I have to say that would put me on its side because when I consider the vast explosion of population, I think that a little bit of infertility would not be any harm at all in addition to the form of infertility which I enjoy. I do not say I suffer it — I enjoy it.

A test of children showed that after only one minute's exposure to microwaves from mobile phones, it resulted in changes in brainwaves in the child for up to one hour after the exposure. That does not actually prove that they would get malignancy. However, it shows a detectable physical effect. Malformed calves are another effect that has been claimed. A lady from Clontarf with a mast next door to her house describes having been told to shield her windows from the radiation with tin foil. However, she found there were holes in it and she claims this came from the radiation.

This is not always met with great sympathy, but they are important things to consider. There is a political aspect to this as the Minister of State knows. In that equation it is important to point out that recently the European Parliament voted by 522 votes to 16 in favour of significantly lowering the exposure guidelines based on biology rather than on the technical measures that were presented as a possibility by commercial interests. Over the past two years a number of health agencies have changed their view. In the old days they used to say there was no risk whatever. They now recommend we should observe the precautionary principle. Again it is significant that when one of the agencies with a financial interest in installing this material gave a presentation to Leixlip town councillors, in complete contradiction to their normal pattern of behaviour they held the meeting in private rather than admitting the public. That is of concern.

I am not a scientist. My father was, but I am not. I am not even particularly scientifically gifted or interested. However, I am concerned because I believe there may be concealed effects from this which could be detrimental. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply.