Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will press it. It is a pity that it is not being accepted because it is a simple measure. I take Senator Landy's point that there may be a cost attached, but there is a considerable cost attached to the medical services. A significant proportion of the budget is spent annually in the HSE and in the health services, and here we have body which is charged with creating awareness to prevent what is a preventable disease.

It also shows the disparity in thinking or a lack of joined-up thinking within Government when one compares the treatment of smoking, which involves a carcinogenic agent and has dire consequences for 50% of those who smoke and who will probably lose their lives through smoking-related disease, which is being tackled vigorously and radon gas, which is equally a carcinogenic agent for lung cancer, the same disease. A combination of both, for example, has significant additional risk factors for those involved. While it is the case that we are moving for the sake of saving money - there well be the synergies of which the Minister of State mentions between both bodies which may enable some improvement or joined-up approaches to be taken - and there may be some arguments for doing it, the main reason for the existence of the RPII is to create awareness in that area. I will not talk about the other area of nuclear fallout, etc., which the Minister of State mentioned and which, down the east coast, is a concern given our proximity to some of the British nuclear power stations.

I ask the Minister to State to think again. People's lives are priceless. Whatever additional costs may be involved in changing the name, which are once-off costs in any event, these should be borne. I would like to think the Minister of State would see some reason for accepting the merit in the arguments that have been put forward not only by me, but by others, so that we could have them reflected in a name of the new agency, the environmental and radiological protection agency. If he will not accept it, we will test it with a vote.