The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, has said there will not be any new legislation to combat high levels of the cancer-causing gas, radon, which has been found in houses at Castleisland in Co Kerry.
In the Dáil, Green Party leader Trevor Sargent and Labour's Emmet Stagg called for legal provisions aimed at controlling the problem.
But the Tánaiste said this was a budgetary question, not one for new legislation.
A survey of homes in Castleisland has revealed some of the highest concentrations of radon ever recorded in Ireland.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas which is colourless, odourless and tasteless. It is formed from the decay of uranium in rocks and, when trapped the basement of a house, it can become a real health hazard.
According to the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, radon ranks number two in the list for causes of lung cancer - second only to smoking.
The RPII undertook the survey of the Castleisland area last year after tests showed one house had a radon level around 250 times above what is deemed to be healthy.
One woman living in the house died from lung cancer, while a man is currently being treated for the illness.
Of results from 377 Castleisland homes, 52 were found to have radon concentrations above recommended levels; six had five times the recommended level; while one had the third highest concentration ever found in Ireland.
One staggering statistic from the survey is that while 2,500 households were contacted, just 413 were prepared to pay €40 for radon test kits and only 377 sent the kit back for analysis.
The RPII says 91,000 homes are believed to have radon levels above what is recommended but, even though the danger areas have been identified, just 2,500 purchased test kits to find out if they are in danger of contracting lung cancer.
Anyone interested in getting their house tested can ring the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland on free phone 1800 300 600 or look at their website on www.rpii.ie.
Radon test kits can also be purchased at many hardware shops around the country for around €40.
