Mr Enda Bonner (FF) spoke of his concern about the mobile telephone mast controversy in Co Donegal and urged that the Minister for Justice and Law Reform be asked to attend the Seanad "in relation to this whole area". Mr Bonner said he wanted to show his support for the people of Kerrykeel, where he had been born.
He asked when there would be a debate on a motion tabled by the Labour Party calling on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to obtain an independent assessment of the health effects of microwave transmitters erected on masts throughout the State.
One of the things that had emerged clearly from the Dublin Castle conference earlier this year was that masts should not be erected until consultations had taken place locally, he added. "I raised the issue today, particularly, because the item has raised its ugly head again in Donegal this morning."
A mobile phone company had moved in and closed off the town, and he believed that a number of people had been arrested. "I would have thought, at this stage, they should have learned that the only way forward was to consult. I am particularly concerned that the locals have been inhibited in this way this morning."
The leader of the House, Mr Donie Cassidy, suggested that Mr Bonner might be able to get an early debate today by availing of the adjournment debate procedure.
It was insane that the European Union was subsidising tobacco production, said Mr Brendan Ryan (Independent). If the damage to human health caused by the use of tobacco was eliminated, we would save enough money to wipe out the health funding crisis for the next 30 years.
It had been shown that tobacco would kill 25 times more people in the EU than would die from illegal substances.
Mr Ryan was contributing to the debate on the Bill to enable the Voluntary Health Insurance Board to act as an agent in making health insurance available to people temporarily resident outside the State.
The Bill passed the second stage.
Earlier, Mr Ryan queried why the VHI Board had an average of one car for every 10 employees.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Tom Moffatt, said he was not aware of the number of cars the board had. He wondered if there was a connection to benefit-in-kind.
He was sure there was a good reason for the board to have a few cars at least. The matter could be looked into, he said.
Dr Moffatt said he agreed with the suggestion made by Mr Pat Gallagher (Labour) that the VHI should be involved in efforts to prevent ill-health and not just in dealing with sickness.
Mr Ryan said it was insane for the EU to be subsidising the production of tobacco when elimination of the damage to health caused by its use would enable this State to overcome health funding crises for the next three decades.