Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 30 Mar 1995

Vol. 451 No. 4

Written Answers. - Malahide (Dublin) Waste Disposal.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

47 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Marine the arrangements, if any, that were made to move the excess soil and spoilage which resulted from excavations in the construction of the Malahide Marina in view of the fact that formerly his Department had refused permission to dump the material at a specified location off the east coast. [4874/95]

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Coveney)

My statutory powers in relation to disposal of waste at sea derive from the Dumping at Sea Act, 1981 under which permits may be granted for the disposal at sea of substances or materials. This Act gives effect to the Oslo Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Ships and Aircraft, 1972.

Applications to dispose of substances or materials at sea are assessed by the marine licence vetting committee which is a multi-disciplinary committee composed of Department of the Marine and Central Fisheries Board officials with expertise in biology, oceanography, chemistry, navigation and engineering.

The committee assesses each application to ensure that

(i) the proposed disposal site is suitable from a fisheries and navigational point of view;

(ii) the quantity and constituents of the waste are such that it will not have adverse impact on the marine environment;

(iii) there are no suitable land-based alternatives and

(iv) the disposal vessel is properly licensed and certificated.

The Oslo Commission guidelines for the management of dredged material are taken into consideration in the disposal of dredge spoil.

The marina at Malahide is being developed in two phases. Phase 1 has been completed and the dredged material which was not being used for reclamation purposes, which is the material to which you refer, was disposed of temporarily on the phase 2 marina basin. The developers, Malahide Marina Village Ltd. intend disposing of this spoil at sea, together with a spoil arising from the phase 2 development.

The developers applied for a permit under the Dumping at Sea Act, 1981 to dispose of material associated with the marina development at a site some 7.5 km east of Malahide. Assessment of the proposal revealed that the proposed area was not suitable as a disposal site due to the presence of a valuable whelk fishery in the area.

The developers have now submitted an alternative proposal involving a new site located 34km from Malahide inlet which is acceptable from a fisheries point of view. They have been requested to carry out a further survey in support of their proposals. On receipt of these details a decision will be made as to whether a dumping at sea permit may be granted.