Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Jun 1995

Vol. 454 No. 6

Written Answers. - Radioactive Waste.

Micheál Martin

Question:

201 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the number of licences granted to individuals or firms to store, handle and transport radioactive waste; the individuals or firms concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11400/95]

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

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII, currently licenses 91 institutions to hold and — or transport radioactive waste. Forty-one of the licences are for waste arising in hospitals and third level colleges as a result of medical and research applications of radioisotopes respectively. The remainder are for redundant or spent industrial sources. Such sources are widely used as control devices in manufacturing process.

The further, more detailed, information sought by the Deputy cannot be easily reproduced and, accordingly, I have asked the RPII to forward the information to the Deputy at the earliest opportunity.

Micheál Martin

Question:

202 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications if he will investigate the circumstances surrounding the storage of radioactive waste at the Irish Steel plant in Cork; the exact nature of the waste stored; his views on the safety procedures that are in operation at this site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11401/95]

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

The radioactive waste in question is in the form of dust arising from the melting down in 1990 of a consignment of imported scrap steel which unknowingly contained a gauge incorporating a radioactive source. The dust in question is stored, under licence issued by the Radiological Protection Institute, in an old munitions store on Rocky Island which forms part of the premises of Irish Steel. The storage conditions are regularly inspected by the institute, with the last inspection being carried out in June 1994, at which time it was noted that the waste was been held in safe and secure storage in a locked store as required by a condition of the licence. The institute was satisfied then that, as long as the storage conditions obtained, the dust would not present a hazard to individuals or the environment. The institute was, therefore, very concerned recently and I share that concern, to find that members of the public were able to gain access to the store, although it should be emphasised that the radioactivity content of the material is sufficiently low that people coming into proximity to it would not be exposed to a significant hazard.

Irish Steel has been asked to provide a full report as to how the incident occurred. The company was also instructed to immediately make the store safe and secure against any unauthorised access. Furthermore, the inspector from the institute, who immediately travelled to the site, witnessed this being done during the course of his visit. I do not envisage a recurrence of an incident like this in the future.

Preliminary inquiries with Irish Steel indicate that barriers which were temporarily removed from the store during May 1995 to facilitate the resorting of waste were not properly replaced at the end of the month. This sorting was undertaken to facilitate the return of the waste to the UK from where the scrap including the gauge had originated. The failure on this occasion to adhere to very high standards is not a normal feature of safety measures at Irish Steel.

The institute has informed me that they will be considering the course of action open to it in respect of any infringement of relevant legislation which may have occurred in relation to the matter.