Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. I ask the Leader for a debate on radon gas. Overnight, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, published a report with shocking figures. It says that there are 17,000 houses at risk from radon gas. It talks about the link, in particular, to various cancers but, in particular, to lung cancer. Radon gas is a serious public health issue around this country and it needs to be addressed. I have suggested today at another group meeting that we should look at a building energy rating-type certification for every property that now comes on the market in respect of a test for radon gas. All sites where new housing is being built should also be tested for radon. It should be mandatory over a phased period of possibly five years, in that there should be a radon certificate for every single home in this State. The evidence is clear and is sharply linked to a major increase in lung cancer. The EPA posted all of this information on its website this morning. More importantly, it has posted an interactive map of the entire country which I looked at this morning. One can put in one’s Eircode and can identify one’s home or site as to its potential exposure to radon gas.

I am also calling that these maps would be interactive with county development plan maps at some point in the future. In the meantime, they should be on display in all of our 31 local authorities because people need to know about them. We need a public campaign on radon gas based upon facts that have been released and are now published on the EPA website this morning. We need to tell people in their communities right across this country that they can go on to these interactive maps today, as I have gone on one already, and can see and identify the potential exposure to radon gas where they live.

This is an important issue upon which we need to have a debate at some point. I know that there are other issues around problems with particular sites so this is a very big issue. We need to look at it and to have a reasonable debate based upon the facts in respect of radon gas and the serious challenges that it is now causing and will cause to public health.