Emission levels from RTE masts at Athlone and Tullamore regularly breached international limits and the station has had to fence off the areas around them to prevent access to members of the public.
According to a report by the telecommunications regulator, Ms Etain Doyle, the emission levels outside the newly restricted area no longer breach the limits.
In the first series of spot-checks carried out recently by Forbairt on behalf of the regulator, 28 of the 30 tests showed masts compliant with the International Radiation Protection Association 1988 guidelines. The checks, carried out across the State, included facilities owned by Eircell, Esat Digifone, Princes Holdings, Cablelink, Telecom Eireann and RTE. "At two medium-wave radio transmitter sites operated by RTE (Tullamore and Athlone), Forbairt measured emission levels in areas close to the transmitters to which the public could gain access which were in excess of IRPA 1988 limits," Ms Doyle said in a statement.
The areas are on the RTE sites and members of the public would not usually be anywhere near them, the statement continued.
"When this was discovered, the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation contacted RTE and they took immediate action, by way of fencing and warning notices, to restrict public access. A subsequent inspection carried out by Forbairt, on behalf of the ODTR, to confirm that the emission levels outside the restricted areas did not exceed the IRPA limits," the regulator said.
A spokeswoman for RTE said the station was satisfied there had not been any danger to the public or to its own staff from being near the transmitters. She said it was the station's policy to comply fully with the association guidelines and RTE had acted immediately to fence off the areas in question.
The Athlone transmitter has been in place since 1933, while the Tullamore mast dates from 1975.