Vol. 412 No. 3
57 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the extent of the dumping of toxic and poisonous substances by the United Kingdom authorities off the north-west of Ireland coastline; if he will outline the nature and location of these dumps; if he has sought assurances from the UK authorities that (1) the dumping does not present a threat to the immediate environment and (2) such methods of disposal are discontinued in future.
I assume that the Deputy's question relates to the dumping by the British authorities of munitions containing toxic substances at a number of locations, ranging from 87 to 230 miles off the north-west coast, between 1945 and 1957. In response to representations which the Embassy in London made to the British authorities on this subject in 1986, it was confirmed that munitions dating from World War II, which included nerve and mustard bombs, had been dumped and co-ordinates for the various dumping locations were given. We received assurances that the munitions would give rise to no health hazard whatsoever; if any leakage occurred, it would diminish harmlessly through dilution or, in the case of insoluble substances, remain static on the sea-bed. We were also assured that the chemicals were at a depth where there was no danger that they could be dredged up by fishing vessels.
While I welcome the assurances which were given, it remains a source of concern to the Government that chemical weapons lie in the seas off this country. In the period since the dumping occurred, however, the rules of international law in such matters have been considerably tightened and the risk of a recurrence is quite remote. The 1972 London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, to which both the UK and Ireland are parties, prohibits the disposal at sea of certain substances, except in emergency situations, and provides for consultation with other affected countries in these cases.
