The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) has warned that the public are far too complacent about the dangers of radon gas.
It is unveiling a public information campaign this week to highlight the dangers and to encourage householders, especially those in High Radon Areas, to measure for the gas.
Dr Tony Colgan, RPII Director of Advisory Services
It is estimated that 91,000 homes throughout the State have radon concentrations above safe levels, although fewer than 3,300 have yet been identified. Exposure to the cancer-causing gas is estimated to kill up to 200 people a year.
Radon is a colourless, odourless and tasteless radioactive gas, which occurs naturally from the decay of uranium in rocks and soils, and becomes a problem when it leaks into homes.
"Testing for radon in the workplace is now covered by law but is not yet compulsory in the home. It is up to all householders to take responsibility for their own health and that of their families and have their homes measured for radon," said Dr Tony Colgan, RPII Director of Advisory Services.
He added that the levels of concern among the population in parts of the country that had many High Radon Areas, including Connacht-Ulster and Leinster, were above the national average, while there was a significantly lower level of concern expressed in Dublin, which has the highest population density in the country.
"Though it is less likely, we have still come across several problematic buildings in the greater Dublin area in recent years," Dr Colgan said.
The Labour Party spokesman on nuclear safety, Mr Emmet Stagg, TD, has called on the Government to restore the Remediation Grants Scheme, introduced in the mid-1990s, to allow householders take advantage of preventative measures against radon gas.
"Whilst the RPII is clearly doing its job in publicising the harmful effects of radon gas, it never ceases to amaze me that the Government continues to politely ignore the preventable deaths of 200 Irish citizens," he added.
Fine Gael Environment Spokesman, Fergus O' Dowd TD, has backed the RPII campaign and promised that Fine Gael would continue to press the Minister for Environment on this issue
. "I have particularly been concerned with radon exposure of employees and will continue to focus on the health of workers, especially those in High Radon Areas, such as Tralee and Ennis, where directives have been issued to employers to carry out radon measurements," he said
More information on radon gas, the RPII and the National Survey of Radon in Dwellings can be found on the RPII's website, www.rpii.ie