Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 197: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the health implications for residents who live near large mobile phone masts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34887/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources maintains a watching scientific brief on health issues relating to non–ionising radiation including those related to mobile phones. The limits for emissions from mobile telephone masts (non-ionising radiation) are global limits established internationally by the International Commission for Non Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). My Department is advised that there is currently no scientific medical evidence that emissions from mobile telephone masts, which comply with the levels outlined in the ICNIRP Guidelines, are injurious to health.

These guidelines are set at levels which are many times less than the experimental levels at which no adverse effects have been established. Ireland has adopted the guidelines established by ICNIRP. All licensed telecommunications operators in Ireland are required by the terms of their licences to observe international guidelines on the limits of emissions from telecommunications masts. Compliance with these guidelines is a matter for the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).

The Government approved the establishment of an inter-Departmental committee on the health effects of electromagnetic fields in September 2005. The committee is chaired by my Department and will provide advice to the Government on the appropriate action to be taken on foot of recommendations contained in the report "Non-Ionising Radiation from mobile phones handsets and masts", published in June 2005 by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. This committee has overseen the establishment of an expert group on the health effects of electromagnetic fields, which has undertaken a thorough review of the latest scientific reports and will report to the inter-departmental committee on the current scientific consensus and science-based policy. The inter-Departmental committee expects to report to Government later this year.