An Oireachtas committee is to investigate the potential adverse health effects of mobile phones following a number of scientific studies which raised fresh safety concerns.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is questioning medical experts and mobile company executives as part of its investigation, which is due to start in the autumn.
The committee chairman, Fianna Fáil TD Mr Noel O'Flynn, said yesterday there was a "moral obligation" to investigate health concerns given the contradictory findings of recent studies.
"This is an issue of paramount importance to citizens. It would be very wrong of us to ignore the potential hazards of mobile phones, and we would rightly fall in for heavy criticism if we did not investigate this issue," Mr O'Flynn said.
The 15-member committee has started gathering relevant international studies, which will form the basis for the investigation.
The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, which maintains a watching scientific brief on health issues related to mobile phones, is also expected to participate in the investigation.
A number of studies published in recent weeks and months have raised concerns over the effects of mobile phone use.
Research released at an international conference on the issue last week suggested that the sperm count of men who regularly carry and use mobile phones may be cut by up to 30 per cent.
Last month an expert workshop established by the World Health Organisation concluded that children were more sensitive to adverse health effects than other age groups.
The Department, however, says published information to date indicates there is no demonstrated adverse health effect from the use of mobile phones.
A similar investigation was held in recent years, by the Oireachtas Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport, relating to claims of a link between mobile phone masts and radiation.
After reviewing scientific literature and questioning mobile-phone company chiefs and residents' groups, the committee concluded there was no firm evidence to suggest the masts posed a significant health risk.
