Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 24 May 1990

Vol. 399 No. 2

Written Answers. - Radiation Monitoring.

Brendan Howlin

Question:

18 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Energy if he will outline the capital projects on which money was spent in 1989 and will be spent in 1990, under the heading of radiation monitoring; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Energy (Mr. Molloy)

Expenditure on capital projects made by the Nuclear Energy Board on radiation monitoring arises both from emergency planning for a nuclear accident and from the ongoing environmental monitoring carried out by the board. For 1989 capital expenditure on emergency plan equipment was £228,000. Capital expenditure on environmental monitoring was £169,000. For 1990, capital expenditure on the emergency plan is £100,000 with £160,000 allocated to capital expenditure on environmental monitoring. Details are in the form of a tabular statement which I propose to circulate in the official report.

Expenditure in recent years on radiation monitoring has brought about the situation in which we have an environmental laboratory of a very high standard, and a nationwide network of monitoring stations capable of detecting and measuring any increases in radioactivity in our environment which might arise from accidents outside our jurisdiction.