The results of the investigation begun
almost a year ago by the Irish Parliament of health
issues related to mobile phones and masts are now
being released. And the conclusions the committee has
reached are considerably in our favour. You have
archived at 5.07.2004 an IRISH TIMES article ("Mobile
Phone Safety to be Investigated") announcing the
setting up of this investigation.Omega see under http://omega.twoday.net/stories/257742/
Following the two newspaper articles below, I have
entered the itemized recommendations in the Irish
Government's report as published at
http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewpda.asp?DocID=4153&&CatID=36
Best, Imelda, Cork
________________________________________
IRISH EXAMINER, THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2005. FRONT PAGE
"COMMITTEE URGES RADIATION WARNINGS FOR MOBILE PHONES
by Shaun Connolly Political Correspondent
All mobile phones should carry radiation warnings, an
Oireachtas [national parliament]committee will
recommend today.
A ban on phone masts near sensitive places, such
as schools, health centres, pitches and playgrounds,
will also be recommended.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications,
which has been investigating health fears sparked by
mobile phone use, also wants masts to be tested for
emissions and the results published on Government
websites.
The committee's report will argue that a 'cloak
of secrecy' surrounds radiation levels emitted by the
country's 4500 masts.
The committee recommends that mobile phones carry
warnings similar to the A/B/C electricity efficiency
markings on white goods, to alert users to the level
of handset emissions.
All mobile handsets and masts emit non-ionising
radiation, but no conclusive evidence has been found
that it damages health.
Omega there is more than enough conclusive evidence that mobile handsets and masts damage health. See
e.g. under: http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html and http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=non-ionising+radiation
However, evidence considered by the committee
from the Irish Doctors Environmental Association
showed that 40,000 Irish people are
electrosensitive--they feel unwell when near
electricity or radiation.
The committee is also expected to call for a ban
on the sale of handsets that do not comply with
standards set by the International Commissin for
Non-Ionising Radiation Protection.
The committee will call for planning guidelines
to be amended to prevent masts being erected near
schools. At present, local councils are free to set
their own guidelines.
Masts placed near schools have been the focus of
several protests in recent months.
The report recommends that responsibility for
monitoring emissions be transferred from the
Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) to
the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland.
A ComReg spokesman said the commission could not
comment until the report is published.
Irish Cellular Industry Association director Tom
McCabe reacted angrily to the moves.
'We have always abided by strict international
safety standards for both phones and masts. And that
is monitored by ComReg. I have not seen this report,
but we have to query what evidence they have to
support these moves,' he said. 'They seem to imply there is some danger involved
which is not backed up by empirical evidence.'" Omega this statement is not true. There is much risk. See under: http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Wissenschaft+zu+Mobilfunk/
_____________________________________________
A similar report featured in THE IRISH TIMES, MONDAY,
JUNE 27, 2005 is pasted in below.
"Call for ban on phone masts near schools
Jamie Smyth, Technology Reporter
Planning guidelines should be amended to ensure that
mobile phone masts are not located near schools,
playgrounds or health centres, according to a report
due to be published this week.
The report, compiled by the Joint Oireachtas Committee
on Communications, also criticises the agency in
charge of monitoring radiation emissions from mobile
phones for not knowing exactly how many masts are
sited in Ireland.
The report recommends that responsibility for
monitoring emissions be transferred from the
Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) to
the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland
(RPII), a State body that monitors other forms of
radiation such as radon.
The report, Non-ionising radiation from mobile phone
handsets and masts, was prompted by public concern
over mobile phone technology. It makes more than 10
recommendations.
One recommendation is that planning guidelines should
be amended to prevent the erection of masts close to
sensitive places such as schools, health centres,
pitches and playgrounds.
Local authorities currently decide their own
guidelines, and there have been recent protests
against masts that are close to sensitive areas.
The report also recommends that the Government appoint
an independent board to review the latest scientific
data on the health impact of emissions.
All mobile masts and handsets emit non-ionising
radiation, a type of radiation that uses low power to
transmit energy. Several international reports into
mobile phone handsets and masts have not found
conclusive evidence it damages health.
However, the report details a submission from the
Irish Doctors Environmental Association that says 1
per cent of the population are electrosensitive - they
feel unwell when close to electricity or radiation.
The report says it is concerned that there should be a
balance between the users and those who suffer ill
health from the use of either a mobile phone or
because they reside near a mast. It recommends that a
mobile phone users' group be set up to address the
concerns.
One of the report's core recommendations is that
responsibility for monitoring mobile emissions be
transferred from ComReg to the RPII.
A ComReg spokesman said yesterday he could not comment
on a report that was not published. However, he said
the agency knew where every mobile phone mast was
located within the State.
Last week ComReg said there were 4,500 masts.
© The Irish Times"
_____________________________________
Houses of the Oireachtas - Parliament of Ireland
Home / Main Menu / Press Releases / Report on
Non-ionising radiation from...
The Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and
Natural Resources
Will be launched in the Report on Non-ionising
radiation from mobile phone handsets and masts
-------------------------------------------------------
The Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and
Natural Resources launches its report on Non-ionising
radiation from mobile phone handsets and masts at
2:30 noon on Thursday 30 June, 2005 in the Audio
Visual Room, Leinster House.
In 1998 Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and
Transport published a Report - Non-Ionising Microwave
Radiation Emissions from Communication Masts. That
report looked at the area of non-ionising radiation in
the context of emissions from communication masts.
The Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and
Natural Resources decided, as part of its work
programme for 2005, that the matter of non-ionising
radiation from mobile phone handsets and masts should
be considered.
In deciding to prepare a report on non-ionising
radiation from mobile phone handsets and masts the
members were aware of ‘anecdotal evidence’ whereby
certain users of mobile phone handsets and certain
members of the public, residing in close proximity to
masts, had experienced ill health.
The Report makes 11 recommendations:
1. That the Radiological Protection Act, 1991 be
amended so that monitoring of non-ionising radiation
would be within the remit of the Radiological
Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII). This will
require that the RPII be fully resourced in terms of
staff and expertise and where possible staff within
the Civil Service with the necessary expertise should
be deployed, subject to the usual IR protocols.
2. That an independent board should be appointed to
review, from the Irish perspective, the published
scientific data. The board chairperson selected
should have a similar status as Sir William Stewart
has in the UK. Further, the board should be serviced
by the RPII in the same way that the ‘Stewart Report’
had the assistance of the UK National Radiological
Protection Board. The board must also include
representation from a statutory medical body. The
completed report to be submitted to Government.
3. The Joint Committee recommends that the monitoring
of both mobile phone handsets and masts should be
vested in a scientific body that has both statutory
independence and the expertise necessary to monitor
‘electromagnetic emissions’ or ‘radio frequency
emissions’ in the non-ionising spectrum specific to
Ireland. The Joint Committee considers that this
function should be vested in an expanded and fully
resourced Radiological Protection Institute of
Ireland.
4. That there should be established a ‘standing
advisory committee’ comprised of the Department of
Health and Children, the Department of Environment,
Heritage and Local Government and the Department of
Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. This
‘standing advisory committee’ should vet and agree all
standards for the mobile telephony industry.
5. The setting up of a non-statutory/advisory Mobile
Phone Safety Users Group to advise the Minister and
the ‘standing advisory committee’. This should
include relevant interest groups such as medical
practitioners and representatives of the community
sector.
6. That no mobile phone handsets should be allowed for
sale in Ireland unless they are certified as complying
with the International Commission for Non-ionising
Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) standard. The Joint
Committee considers that this function should be
vested in the newly expanded and fully resourced
Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland.
7. That all mobile phones should have a label that
details its non-ionising radiation level – this to be
similar to the A/B/C electricity efficiency rating
applied to white goods.
8. That the recommendations on Health; contained in
the 1998 Report of the Joint Committee on Public
Enterprise and Transport should be referred to the
Joint Committee on Health and Children with a request
that the Joint Committee should consider including, in
its work programme, a review of what action, if any,
has been taken on the recommendations made in that
report by the Department of Health and Children.
9. That results of emission testing on masts and
antennae be published on the web site of the
Department of Communications, Marine and Natural
Resources, the web site of the PRII and the ComReg web
site.
10. That planning guidelines and planning exemptions
be examined with a view to ensuring that no
‘electromagnetic emissions’ or ‘radio frequency
emissions’ emitting equipment be permitted to be sited
near health centres, schools or other sensitive sites
such as playgrounds or pitches etc.
11. The Joint Committee will review this report by
June 2006 and examine what progress has been made on
the recommendations made by the Joint Committee.
In regard to that one of the last recommendation, the
Chairman, Deputy Noel O’Flynn T.D. pointed out that
one of the unique aspects of Oireachtas reports is
that the Joint Committee may review, at a future date,
the recommendations made and invigilate what, if any,
progress has been made. Accordingly, in this report
the Joint Committee is giving notice that it will
review and examine what progress has been made on the
recommendations of the Joint Committee.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Report on Non-ionising radiation from mobile phone
handsets and masts
Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas, Leinster
House, Dublin 2. Ph: + 353 1 618 3000