The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Campaigners call for County Councillors to oppose 5G roll-out
A TRALEE woman has lobbied Kerry Councillors and TDs, as well as Government Ministers, in relation to her concerns over the roll-out of 5G in Tralee and Killarney by the end of 2019.
Mags O’Sullivan, a member of Stop 5G Kerry and Stop 5G Ireland, is calling on Kerry’s councillors to follow the lead of other councils around the country by voting to oppose the roll-out of 5G technology.
Several locations, including Geneva and Brussels, have stalled their 5G roll-outs over health concerns. Among the most prominent contributors on the issue of 5G technology is UCC professor Tom Butler, who has said that far-field radio-frequency radiation from 5G cellular antennae pose significant risks, and that research – including scientific findings – show clear evidence of threat to health and well-being. He has also said that there is “increasing evidence that radio frequency radiation is as toxic as lead or tobacco smoke”.
In recent days, Sinn Féin has called on the government to carry out a review on the health impacts of 5G. The party’s motion, however, was defeated.
“Somebody brought it to my attention there was a post on the Irish Independent’s website saying that 5G was being rolled out in Tralee and Killarney by the year end,” Ms O’Sullivan said. “Loads of people said they had heard nothing about the roll-out.
“I’m calling for a complete moratorium on 5G and its related equipment until the Minister, ComReg [the communications regulator], and the Department can provide the same number of independent, peer-reviewed, published scientific studies proving that electromagnetic radiation does not cause harm as those saying otherwise, of which there are round 3,700.”
Ms O’Sullivan claims that the people of Tralee and Killarney have not been consulted about the 5G roll-out and that there has been no impact assessment carried out. She feels that ‘safe’ technologies currently in place function perfectly well and do not need to be replaced with 5G technology.
“At the moment we have an option that if you don’t want WiFi in your house...you can turn off your WiFi and switch your phone to airplane mode. With 5G, it will be on every lamp-post where devices are fitted.”
She added that her primary health concern would be cancer.
The Irish Cancer Society, however, has said in a recently published guide on 5G that “There is simply no evidence to support worrying about phones or masts when talking about cancer risk...The changes to frequency used by technology such as 5G means that these signals cannot even penetrate the human body.
“We know of no fundamental biophysical or biochemical mechanism for these signals to interact with important cellular functions,” the 5G guide continued. The World Health Organisation has said that radio frequency radiation, which includes mobile signals, are “possibly carcinogenic” but were placed in a lower risk category than alcohol and processed meat. Ms O’Sullivan, however, questioned the body of evidence behind these statements.
Minister Richard Bruton said earlier this year that “ICNIRP [an international commission on radiation protection] guidelines apply up to a frequency of 300 gigahertz (GHz), well above the maximum frequencies being considered for 5G...ComReg, the independent telecoms regulatory authority, ensures that licensed mobile operators comply with their licence conditions and do not exceed ICNIRP guidelines”.
Ms O’Sullivan feels that these guidelines are long outdated and that far lower limits are applied in other countries.
The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment told The Kerryman it has no role in the individual roll-out plans of private operators.
“The potential health impacts of exposure to non-ionising radiation are addressed in a substantial volume of internationally recognised scientific research and evidence,” a spokesperson said. “International organisations...assess that there is no established scientific evidence to support any adverse health effects to individuals below the exposure levels set by International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).”
“There is... no evidence to support worrying about phones or masts when talking about cancer risk” – Irish Cancer Society