Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 12 May 1994

Vol. 442 No. 7

Written Answers. - Radioactive Discharges.

Ivor Callely

Question:

33 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications if he will give details of the monitoring of radioactive discharges from Sellafield/ THORP; the plans, if any, he has to seek permission from the British authorities so that Ireland will have direct monitoring facilities of discharges that may effect Ireland, in particular, the Irish sea and our coastal waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (Mr. Cowen)

Radioactive discharges from the Sellafield complex, including the THORP plant, are monitored at the point of discharge under the supervision of the UK's regulatory authority and the results of this monitoring are regularly published. The EU Commission, under Article 35 of the Euratom Treaty, carry out inspections of facilities established in member states to monitor nuclear installations which discharge radioactive substances into the environment. Inspection of monitoring facilities at Sellafield was carried out by the Commission towards the end of last year. I am satisfied that the present arrangements for monitoring of discharges at Sellafield together with inspection of monitoring facilities by the commission and the monitoring in the Irish Sea carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland are satisfactory and I do not see any need to have our own monitoring facilities put in place at Sellafield.

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) monitors the levels of radioactivity in Irish waters to study the distribution of contaminating radionuclides, identify trends and assess the risks to public health. In relation to the Irish Sea, the monitoring programme involves the routine sampling and analysis of seawater, seaweed, sediments, fish and shelfish. Samples of seawater and sediments are also collected out into the Irish Sea from an area south of Dublin extending northwards to Dundalk Bay.

The RPII publishes the results of its monitoring programme and results for the period 1988-90 are available. If the Deputy so requires, I can forward him a copy of this report. The report for the period 1991-92 is in the course of publication. In general, results of this programme show that concentrations of radionuclides in the Irish Sea have shown a decrease in recent years. This has been due to a decrease in the Sellafield discharges. In addition, the RPII's monitoring programme shows that there is no significant risk to health from the consumption of marine produce from the Irish Sea. There should be no concern about frequenting beaches or enjoying the facilities of the Irish Sea.

Concerns have been expressed on occasions about the presence of plutonium in the Irish marine environment. The RPII has measured its concentrations and found them to be very low. It is, of course, keeping the plutonium concentrations under continuing review.

Whilst the RPII's monitoring programme provides a reassurance that there is no significant risk to the health of the Irish public as a consequence of the Sellafield discharges, the discharges cause contamination of the Irish Sea. This contamination is not welcomed and I would like to see all discharges progressively reduced and ultimately eliminated.

With reference to discharges from the Sellafield-THORP plant, which is only now going into operation, I would like to reiterate the Government's total opposition to the continued operation of all nuclear activities carried out at Sellafield and to any expansion of these activities. I have asked the RPII to extend its monitoring programme to take account of the THORP plant. New sampling equipment has been installed to measure emissions particular to that plant. The results of such monitoring will be scrutinised by the RPII on an ongoing basis and I can reassure the Deputy that the results will be communicated to the Irish public in realistic terms.