: I should like to thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me an opportunity to raise the serious effect indiscriminate dumping of chemicals can have on the fish life and flora off our coasts. Serious questions have arisen as a result of the recent disappearance of 41 drums of dioxin' contaminated waste which were earmarked for disposal on the European mainland. The matter arose as a result of an explosion in the north Italian town of Seveso in 1976. That was the worst pollution disaster on the European mainland to date and thousands of acres of land were rendered unhabitable. Up to 1,000 people were evacuated long-term from the area and almost 80,000 livestock were slaughtered. Dioxin has been described as one of the most highly toxic man-made substances known and since the explosion the Italian authorities have been faced with the problem of disposing of highly contaminated material waste. I would have presumed that after a disaster of such magnitude the Italian authorities would have monitored the mop-up procedure closely. Therefore, it is most suspicious that 41 barrels of waste have now "gone missing" on the European mainland. There is evidence that a truck cartrying 41 drums of material left Italy last autumn and passed through Marseilles in France but since then nobody has seen the barrels. Earlier this week claims were made that the waste was on board a ship, Matthias II. I approached the marine division of the Department of Transport on the matter and I was informed that the reports were incorrect. I told that the Belgium police searched Matthias II in Antwerp on 4 April and no trace of the barrels was found on board.
That information from the Department alleviates any worries about dumping by Matthias II but it still leaves many serious questions unanswered. The information does not explain how the Italian and French Governments allowed such highly toxic material pass through their countries without proper monitoring. That seems to indicate that some arrangements or conspiracy exists between those governments to get rid of that highly dangerous waste in some irregular or unofficial manner.
The obvious means of disposal would be to dump the material at sea. I am asking the Minister to have the Department of Foreign Affairs approach the Italian and French governments to get an assurance that the material has not been and will not be disposed of at sea. The disappearance of 41 barrels of dioxin waste has aroused international interest. Recently the West German doctors association warned the Swiss pharmaceutical firm, Hoffman La Roche, that if they refused to make known the location of the 41 barrels of waste widespread boycott of the company's products would take place. The Swiss firm is the parent company of the plant where the accident occurred in 1976.
I raise this matter tonight because this waste may yet be disposed of at sea in an area which would affect our fish life. I am asking the Minister to ensure that discussions take place with the European Governments already mentioned to ensure that such dumping will not take place in the seas off our coasts. We must not relax in our efforts to protect our shores and we must give every possible support to the efforts being made to protect our environment. I have made the point in a previous debate that we should be moving away for an acceptance of the oceans as repositories for our waste. There is an international right to a clean environment and this is supported by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Unilateral dumping of waste should be unacceptable to us. This country took a firm line at the recent London Dumping Convention when we supported a Spanish motion that there should be an immediate cessation of nuclear dumping off our coasts pending an expert investigation into the methods of dumping and the possible environmental effects. I compliment the Department on their very firm line and I ask them to take a similar line in this case and obtain clear-cut assurances that this waste, if not already dumped, will not be dumped off our coast.
This whole episode smells of connivance and conspiracy between two countries to get rid of a highly dangerous substance by dumping it outside their own boundaries. The question of maritime dumping should be the subject of a special debate here at some stage. In the previous session the Minister for Industry and Energy accepted this point from the Leader of the Opposition and I hope that such a debate will be held at an early date.
