asked the Minister for Energy if he has had any tests carried out on the fish life of the Irish Sea; if so, the results obtained in regard to radioactive levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Tests on Fish in Irish Sea.
45.
The Nuclear Energy Board carry out an ongoing monitoring programme of the Irish marine environment to ascertain the levels of radioactivity in the water and its consequent up-take in fish and shellfish. The consumption of fish and shellfish is the most likely route by which exposure to the Irish public could occur as a consequence of the discharges of radioactive effluents from Sellafield which is the principal source of radioactive contamination of our marine environment.
The board's monitoring programme is concentrated on the analysis of fish and shellfish samples from commercial landings at a number of fishing ports around the country. The board's findings are generally corroborated by independent tests carried out by our universities. The results of their programme are published regularly and the reports for the periods 1982-84 have been placed in the Dáil Library.
I understand that a report on the board's monitoring programme for the period 1985-86 will be published shortly. The board's latest estimate is that the average Irish consumer of fish and shellfish would receive an annual dose of less than 0.4 per cent of the annual dose limit recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.