Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the recommendations of the Expert Group on Health Effects of Electro Magnetic Fields published in March 2007; his further views on whether the report's recommendations need to be implemented as a general regulatory framework before decisions can be made regarding the EirGrid proposals to strengthen the national grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28007/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The health effects of electromagnetic fields, is a matter for the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government and I have no function in this matter.

EirGrid complies with International Guidelines for EMF exposure set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which advises the World Health Organisation.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) established a panel of interdisciplinary experts to examine all the available information and research on the health impacts of electromagnetic fields. The WHO's subsequent report, published in June 2007, concluded that the research does not suggest electromagnetic fields cause any adverse health effects at levels generally encountered by members of the public.

The conclusions of the Expert Group on Health Effects of Electro Magnetic Fields are consistent with the WHO Report.

I have this week recently published the Independent Study on the Comparative Merits of Overhead Electricity Transmission Lines versus Underground Cables. The Study notes that EirGrid designs and operates overhead lines in compliance with WHO guidelines on magnetic field exposure and that in practice, under normal operation conditions in Ireland, magnetic field strengths directly under transmission lines are as low as 10–20% of the maximum levels recommended in the WHO guidelines.