asked the Minister for Health the number of curies of radioactive material per month being pumped or dumped into the Irish Sea from Britain.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Radioactive Material in Irish Sea.
54.
I regret that I cannot disclose the figure which the Deputy is seeking. It was given to officers of my Department informally by officers of the appropriate British authorities as part of the liaison arrangement which is maintained in this area. I would ask the Deputy to accept my assurance that it is well below the figure of 10,000 curies monthly which he mentioned in a previous question to me on the same subject. On the subject of the rate or level of discharge, I should point out that measurement of the hazard of low levels of radioactivity is a very complex matter. The curie is not an absolute index of the danger from radioactivity, since any given number of curies of one radioactive substance could mean a lesser or a greater hazard than the same number of curies of another such substance.
I should say also that the rate of discharge of radioactive waste in Britain is regulated by reference to the type of radioactive substances being discharged and how these might reach man, and that the levels of discharge are based on the safety recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The British authorities apply very stringent safety standards in the interests of their own population, and in no case have the recommended safety levels been reached.
As I indicated in reply to a previous question from the Deputy samples of seawater taken from the Irish Sea are monitored monthly. These tests continue to show no more than the natural background radiation.
Am I right in thinking that the only source of information available to the Minister is what is provided by Britain and by tests of samples of Irish Sea water conducted by Britain, and are the Government not paying any attention to the fact that the Russian Government have said that samples which they have taken in the Irish Sea indicate that we are reaching dangerously near the level which international organisations say is dangerous?
I think the Minister is absolutely satisfied that the dangerous level has not been reached and furthermore, he is satisfied that the British authorities have very strict criteria in this matter with regard to their precautionary measures as their people are involved equally as much as ours and if the Minister is satisfied that the means adopted for measuring the level of radioactivity are sufficient, I do not think we have anything to worry about.
Would the Government have regard to the fact that their only source of information is, apparently, the people who are committing the potential nuisance and would they request the Russian Government to make available such figures as they may have? Only one of two things can happen. Either the Russian Government will refuse the information or they will give it. At least, it would provide some kind of assistance in measuring the validity of the British figures.
That is a separate question.
I would not say it is the only means available to the Minister to satisfy himself with regard to the safety level.