No funding has ever been provided by the ESB or the Government for research into the health risks associated with exposure to high-voltage power lines, an oral hearing was told yesterday.
The claim was made by scientist Mr Roger Coghill, an expert witness called by the Alternative to Poles & Pylons group, during the An Bord Pleanala oral hearing into a proposed 110kV power line to run in a loop around west and north Donegal.
Mr Coghill rejected ESB findings that there was no evidence that exposure to magnetic fields associated with the electricity supply increased the risks of childhood leukemia. "Serious consideration should be given to undergrounding in sections of the route," he said.
The proposed power line represented the best planning solution, according to Mr Jerry O'Donoghue, a senior ESB engineer. The hearing continues today.