Vol. 345 No. 13
andMr. Kirk asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of a report in a British medical journal by two Irish doctors, linking the births of a number of babies with Down's Syndrome with the nuclear accident at Windscale, Cumbria, England and of the deep concern and apprehension in respect of the matter in Dundalk, and in County Louth generally; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
237.
asked the Minister for Health if he will as a matter of urgency communicate to the British Government the widespread public alarm and concern arising from the report in the most recent edition of the British Medical Journal which establishes a causative link between the birth of six babies suffering from Down's Syndrome whose mothers all went to school together in Dundalk, County Louth, and radioactive emissions from the nuclear fuel plant at Windscale in Cumbria; and the action he and his Department are taking to ensure the Windscale plant does not now or will not in the future pose a serious threat to the health of the population of this island or to the health of future generations.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 237 together.
I have seen the report in question. It must be stressed that a link between the births and the nuclear accident at Windscale has not been established. The possibility that there was such a link has been suggested; so also was the possibility that the cluster of births was influenced by some other unknown interacting factor such as a virus infection. I understand that the authors of the report are continuing their investigations.
I am also keeping in touch with my colleague, the Minister for Industry and Energy, about the general question of radiation hazards arising from the operations at Windscale.
