asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the serious health hazards posed by the emission of radiation from British army observation installations which have been erected in South Armagh adjacent to County Louth.
17.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - British Army Observation Installations.
15.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the action, if any, which is being taken to ascertain the degree of danger posed by the presence of British army observation installations in South Armagh adjacent to County Louth and the reported use of radiation based systems for monitoring purposes; and if he was consulted in advance by the British authorities regarding the use of these systems.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 17 together.
The Government were not consulted about the building of these installations or the equipment used in them. The concern of local people on either side of the Border about possible health hazards has been raised with the British authorities in the Anglo-Irish Secretariat. The British authorities have rejected charges that equipment in the installations emits harmful radiation as completely untrue. Mr. John Stanley, MP, Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office also made a statement to this effect in the House of Commons on 15 March 1988.
Does the Taoiseach consider it injudicious of the British authorities not to have informed his Government that they were erecting 24 observations posts and the possible health hazards posed by the emitting of radiation? X-band radiation is used in these posts and there is deep concern on both sides of the Border because of the high incidence of reported skin cancer cases. The use of X-band radiation was the subject of an international scandal when used by the Russian authorities to bug the US embassy in Moscow in 1970. Each member of the staff in that embassy was to some degree affected by radiation——
I am anxious to facilitate the Deputy in seeking information but he seems to be imparting knowledge rather than seeking it.
I am imparting knowledge which is well known.
This is Question Time.
I want to express my objections to the use of this radiation based system and I want to ask the Taoiseach if he will ensure that there will be a full-scale monitoring by the Department of Health to examine the danger posed to health in that region.
I am aware of that concern. I want to inform the Deputy that the British authorities are very sensitive to our concerns on these matters and have taken certain action. In the Adjournment debate in the House of Commons on 15 March last, Mr. Stanley, the Minister, rejected the claim that the equipment is emitting harmful radiation and, to use his own words, "this is completely untrue". I have no reason to doubt that that is the position. Any advice we have confirmed that.
Would the Taoiseach ensure that the Department of Health and the Minister will make it their business to investigate from our side of the Border and to take tests in the region to ensure that the health of the people in County Louth, Armagh and Down, is safeguarded.
I will certainly mention the matter to the Minister for Health who lives there, as the Deputy knows. I will ask him to consider the Deputy's concerns although, as I say, so far as we have expert opinion on the matter, it would be that there are no harmful emissions.