asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in publishing the report from his Department studying the increased incidence of disease and the findings of the Black report, following discharge of radioactive waste and other serious incidents at Sellafield Nuclear Processing Plant.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Black Report.
32.
The terms of reference of the study include an investigation of incidence rates for childhood leukaemia and Down's Syndrome.
The structure and methodology of the leukaemia study were decided upon in consultation with the department of community medicine and epidemiology at UCD. The aim of the study, which commenced in October 1984, is to determine whether or not there has been an increased incidence of leukaemia along the east coast. The data from the study are now being analysed and I have been promised a report by early April.
The Down's Syndrome study involves an examination of the prevalence of this condition on the east coast as compared with the west coast. This is being carried out with the assistance of health board medical officers of health but final results of this inquiry will not be available until later in the year.
I have had a meeting with my counterpart in Northern Ireland in view of our common concern in this matter. Officials of my Department have also had discussions with Northern Ireland officials and liaison has been established in relation to similar studies which are being carried out in Northern Ireland. While these epidemiological studies are, of course, important, my primary concern is that we may achieve a discontinuance of emissions from Sellafield. As the Deputy is aware, the Government have been making strong representations to the UK authorities in this respect.
Would the Minister accept that this is a matter of great urgency, that 18 months have elapsed since the studies on leukaemia and Down's Syndrome were commenced and that another month or two will elapse before we receive the results of one of those studies and even more time before we receive the second? Is it not clear in view of the total unreliability of the information we receive from British Nuclear Fuels Limited in relation to various leaks — when they say it was a small leak, that nobody suffered any radiation effects and then come along at a later stage, or sometimes only when under pressure from another group, and announce that a leak has been much more serious, as happened on two occasions recently — that more pressure needs to be brought to bear?
In view of the fact that the Black report appears to have been based on incorrect figures for uranium in the atmosphere — he was working on a figure of 40 grammes whereas it appears now that the real figure was 20 kilogrammes and bearing in mind the concern felt in this country North and South about the high incidence of leukaemia and the Down's Syndrome situation in Dundalk particularly — would the Minister not use his position as Minister for Health to call for the closure of the plant at Sellafield? Would he not call for its closure, using his position as Minister for Health, because it is a very serious situation? I would have expected the Minister's involvement in the matter to have been much more forceful than the evidence we have seen from other members of the Government.
I can assure the Deputy that I have kept in very close touch with the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Ministers for the Environment, both Deputies Liam Kavanagh and John Boland. The concern of my Department has been conveyed on a very regular basis to my colleagues in Government. Equally, when I met my counterpart in Northern Ireland, my serious concern was also conveyed to him. The study which I set in train in October has taken 17 months to complete — it is a very detailed study — and will indicate the particular impact or incidence of leukaemia on the east coast, as compared with the west coast. That report will be published in early April. I have been pressing for it, but I am sure the Deputy will agree that, when it comes to analysing data of that nature, it cannot be rushed.