Mobile phone warning for children to be discussed

An Oireachtas Committee will tomorrow discuss new UK scientific research advising that children under eight should not use mobile phones.

The study of the British National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), which was published last week, is also being examined by technical experts from the Department of Communications.

The chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communication, Mr Noel O'Flynn (FF), said he was concerned by the report, adding, "I will raise the issue at our meeting on Tuesday."

However, Deputy O'Flynn said the study should be seen in the context of a large body of research, much of which had indicated that there was no evidence of a health risk from mobile phone use.

The committee had already signalled plans to investigate the potential adverse health effects of mobile phones, and has proposed calling medical experts and mobile company executives to give evidence.

In its report last week, the NRPB said no hard evidence existed to show mobile phones damaged health. But it concluded that users, especially children, should take care.

Expanding on the findings, the chairman of the board, Prof William Stewart, advised parents not to give mobile phones to young children, adding: "If there are risks - and we think there may be risks - then the people who are going to be most affected are children, and the younger the child, the greater the danger."

A number of European mobile phone companies have since withdrawn handsets which had been aimed at young children.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Communications said its technical experts had received the NRPB report and were examining it.

However, "They said there was nothing in it that caused them concern, and that there was no scientific basis for the precautionary approach."

The spokeswoman added that the decision on whether to give a child a mobile phone, and how to control its use, was a matter of parental choice.

The issue of mobile phone safety will be raised at an EU meeting of technical experts in early May, at which Ireland will be represented by the Department's chief technical adviser, Mr Bob Hanna.

Mast Action in Meath, a campaign group against mobile phone technology, said it would be distributing copies of the NRPB report to national schools in Co Meath so that parents were aware of the risks.

Dr Don MacAuley, adviser to the group, said: "There is growing concern amongst scientists that phones and masts are a health risk and when you have a government expert group such as this coming out with health warnings, then you have to sit up and pay attention."