Written answers

Tuesday, 31 May 2022

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Radon Gas Levels

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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66. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider having a radon test and report made compulsory as part of the sale of houses across Ireland. [28101/22]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The conveyancing process currently contains a number of questions relating to radon to which a vendor is asked to reply. These questions were introduced to the process in 2017 when the Law Society of Ireland’s conditions of sale were revised and was done as a result of a recommendation in the first National Radon Control Strategy (NRCS). The NRCS is an inter-Departmental/Agency Coordination Group chaired by my Department. The NRCS is now in its second phase running from 2019 to 2024 and I expect to receive a progress report for 2021 within the next month. One of the action points in the report commits to working with the Law Society of Ireland and other stakeholders to ensure that  conveyancing legislation includes a requirement that radon testing and, where necessary, remediation are compulsory when selling a home in a high radon area.

Photo of Holly CairnsHolly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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67. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking in response to an organisation’s (details supplied) findings that 170,000 homes in the country are now predicted to be at risk from radon. [28154/22]

Photo of Darren O'RourkeDarren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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111. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the action that he intends to take in response to the increased number of homes that are at risk from radon as outlined on the Environment Protection Agency’s updated radon map; the supports that are in place for homeowners and landlords to test for radon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28132/22]

Photo of Holly CairnsHolly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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113. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps which he is taking in response to the findings of an organisation (details supplied) that 170,000 homes in the country are now predicted to be at risk from radon. [28150/22]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 67, 111 and 113 together.

Radon gas is recognised as a serious threat to public health and estimated to be responsible for approximately 350 cases of lung cancer annually in Ireland.

In response to this issue, the Government established a National Radon Control Strategy. The Strategy is now in its second phase covering the period 2019 to 2024.  Implementation of the Strategy is overseen by an interdepartmental and agency Group chaired by my Department.

One of the outputs of the work of the Group is an updated radon risk map. It is envisaged that the increased functionality and design of the new map will encourage a greater level of radon testing by households.

I expect to receive and publish a report from the NRCS Group within the next month which will detail progress made in 2021 and outline a number of action points for this phase of the Plan, to 2024.

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