Farmers may in future block the erection of mobile phone masts on their land unless Vodafone immediately stops transmitting at a controversial base station in Golden, Co Tipperary.
The warning was made yesterday by Mr Pat O'Rourke, president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA), following a visit to the farm of Mr John Ryan, who claims to have suffered a severe physical reaction to "radiation pollution" emanating from the mast on his land, located three miles outside Cashel.
Mr Ryan has been campaigning without success to have the mast removed since it was first activated in March 2003. He claims to have experienced constant headaches, cramps and dizzy spells, which have periodically forced him out of his home.
Vodafone has offered to remove the mast if the dairy farmer covered its €50,000 construction costs.
The company last year paid Mr Ryan the first of five annual instalments of €10,157 for permission to erect the mast on his farm. But the farmer said he now wouldn't have it "for €100,000 a week".
Accusing Vodafone of using "corporate bully" tactics, Mr O'Rourke said unless the company acted on Mr Ryan's concerns there would be "a convincing argument" for farmers nationwide to ban masts from their land.
Scientists disagree as to whether there is any link between non-ionising radiation and ill-health.
However, Mr Ryan is convinced there is, and has resorted to wearing outdoors a silver-plated screening net over his head, which he said, "cuts 95 per cent of headaches".
Last winter, the farmer moved into a neighbour's house to get away from the installation as he felt the strength of the signal increased in wet weather. For several weeks, moreover, he was reduced to sleeping in his car.
A GP in Bandon, Co Cork, Dr Philip Michael, has since backed his claims, concluding that Mr Ryan was "a healthy man who is almost certainly suffering from the effect of non-ionising radiation".
"It hit me the very first day they turned on the mast," said Mr Ryan. "I was crossing the yard to feed the calves when I felt this awful pain. I got this shivery, tingly feeling, and a tightness in my sides, like shots in the ribs.
"I went on with my work, but it was getting worse all the time. I could see the engineers at the aerial and went over to them and asked them to turn it off."
Once the mast had been deactivated "immediately I felt a change. When it's on it's like sitting up against a heater."
While Mr Ryan believes he is "more sensitive than most" to radiofrequency radiation, other members of his family - as well as neighbours - have reported similar symptoms.
Mr Tommy Pender, who lives next door, said: "I find it impossible to farm. The eardrums would be popping in and out constantly. If I go behind a wall I get some relief." The limestone hill on which the mast was constructed was an "unsuitable site" as it "conducts massively when it's wet", he added.
The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has measured emissions at the site on four occasions, most recently a fortnight ago. Each time, non-ionising radiation levels were within internationally recognised limits. On one occasion, the measurement was 44,000 times below the safety limit.
A spokeswoman for Vodafone said: "Whatever health issues Mr Ryan has, they have absolutely nothing to do without our infrastructure or our mast. All our infrastructure meets the international guidelines."
But Mr Ryan's wife, Rosie, said "the guidelines are five years old and are based on short-term studies that are inconclusive, insufficient and ongoing. The buck is being passed around. We have written to the health board and the Minister, but everyone says it is outside their remit".
The Irish Farmers' Association has also called for the mast to be removed. Mr Jim Devlin, executive secretary of the IFA's environment committee, said: "We are pressurising Vodafone for face-to-face discussions and we are confident they will happen." Sen Martin Mansergh, who lives in Tipperary, has also backed Mr Ryan's campaign.
"I have little doubt that his case is genuine and bona fide. There needs to be more recognition of the problem, and mechanisms put in place by the regulatory authorities rather than leave people suffer like this," he said.
"We all value mobile phones - this country perhaps more than any other - but that does not alter the rights of individuals."
Mr O'Rourke said the ICMSA would urge farmers to "think long and hard" about allowing masts on their land in light of Mr Ryan's experience "because it could lead to greater health problems".
