Phil Hogan, TD, Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government has launched the National Radon Control Strategy for Ireland at the Eleventh National Radon Forum in Kilkenny.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Hogan said: "Successful implementation of this Strategy will require action from a range of Government Departments, public bodies and other stakeholders and so will require clear identification of responsibilities, good co-ordination between the various stakeholders and effective monitoring of progress."

The strategy aims to tackle the serious public health problem of radon gas by reducing the number of lung cancer cases caused by the gas.

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The Minister also commented: "I am therefore pleased to be able to announce to you today the establishment of a National Radon Control Strategy Co-ordination Group.

"My Department has written to the relevant Departments and Agencies to request that they nominate a representative to this Group which is to implement and track the key recommendations in the Strategy."

The responsibilities of the Co-ordination Group will include;

Coordinating the work on radon across the relevant departments and agencies, monitoring the implementation of the Strategy, reporting annually on progress, ensuring that the effectiveness of the plan is assessed at appropriate intervals, and at the end of the period covered by the action plan, making recommendations to Government on what further actions it considers necessary at that time.

The National Radon Forum is hosted by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) and brings together a broad range of stakeholders focussed on addressing the radon problem in Ireland.

(CD/JP)