Vol. 445 No. 8
114 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on the method of disposal of radioactive waste from Southern Health Board hospitals and voluntary and private hospitals in the Cork city and county areas. [1194/94]
All sources of ionizing radiation used in hospitals are subject to control by licence issued by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII), which is the competent authority in this area. The detailed procedures in operation in any particular hospital are a matter for that hospital under the RPII licensing arrangements.
The general practice is that sealed radioactive sources used by hospitals are returned to the manufacturers. Other radioactive sources used in medical treatment and diagnosis tend to have a short active life. If necessary, these sources are held in storage until such time as the radioactivity has decayed to a negligible level, at which stage they may be disposed of as non-radioactive waste. These principles apply to all hospitals, including the hospitals in the Southern Health Board area.
