Vol. 480 No. 3
1 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for the Marine if he has sought and received from the British Government full disclosure of all dumping of radioactive material, including dumping by the Ministry of Defence, in the Irish Sea; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14005/97]
I am deeply concerned about the recent revelations by the UK authorities that radioactive material was dumped in Beaufort Dyke during the 1950s. The Beaufort Dyke dumpsite is on the Scottish side of the North Channel.
The emergence of this information is particularly disturbing in view of the close co-operation which has developed in recent years between scientists and officials and at ministerial level on both sides of the Irish Sea in the appraisal and management of the Beaufort Dyke and mutual marine interests generally. Its inconsistency with the assurances given previously by the UK side that no such dumping had taken place raises serious issues of credibility and public confidence in previous statements.
At my request last Monday I met the UK Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Rt. Hon. Dr. Jack Cunningham, MP. This followed an exchange of letters between myself and Dr Cunningham. At this meeting we agreed certain action to address concerns on both sides of the Irish Sea. A team under the direction of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will carry out an intensive archival investigation as a matter of urgency. Departments requested to supply material include Defence, Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the Scottish Office and Environment. Officials from the two Governments will liaise closely on the progress of these investigations. Minister Cunningham undertook to immediately make available to me any information arising from these searches. Consideration will be given to additional monitoring and follow up action.
I expressed my deep concern to the UK Minister regarding the dumping of radioactive materials in the Irish Sea. While I welcomed the open approach of Dr Cunningham, I emphasised to him that the way in which the information emerged raised major questions about the credibility of previous public statements and information from the UK authorities about the Irish Sea.
I regard close liaison and co-operation with the UK authorities as crucial to ensuring that all the facts are brought out into the open. However, it is essential that we on this side of the Irish Sea are in a position to fully appraise the information which is currently available and any further information which might emerge. In order that I have the best advice available, in consultation with my colleague the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, I am setting up a task force representative of experts in the fields of radioactivity and the marine environment generally. This task force will advise me in my ongoing contacts with Dr. Cunningham as the archival search for any further dumping incidents unfolds. It will provide the best professional assistance to me in determining the adequacy, comprehensiveness and implications for the marine environment, of the information on dumping now available and that which might emerge. It will assess and recommend, in the light of all emerging information, what should be done — in other words, whether any further surveys are necessary of Beaufort Dyke dumpsite and any other sites which might emerge in the archival searches. It will also advise me and my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, on whether and how existing monitoring of Irish Sea radioactivity might be extended or improved in the light of new information emerging.
The task force will aim to provide the best advice to me on how to ensure the right questions are asked of the UK authorities so that we can satisfy ourselves that all relevant information is forthcoming and that appropriate and commensurate follow-up action is taken. My aim is to ensure the public can be confident not only that the issue is receiving priority attention from me and my professional advisers, but also that the necessary steps are taken to protect and maintain the Irish Sea environment in the light of the dumping of this most insidious form of marine pollution and that no such dumping ever again takes place in the Irish Sea.
Deputies will be aware that I have received copies of the UK records found to date. These are currently being examined by experts in the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. While the documents are rather scanty in detail, they show that small quantities of laboratory waste and luminous materials which fall within the definition of low or intermediate level radioactive waste were dumped in Beaufort Dyke in the 1950s. I have been assured that further searches of archive records are being undertaken as a matter of urgency and that any documentation found will be made available to me. I should also mention that at a recent meeting at which this matter was discussed Prime Minister Blair personally assured the Taoiseach the matter will be fully investigated. Minister Cunningham assures me his Department carry out extensive monitoring for radioactivity throughout the Irish Sea, involving regular sampling of seawater, fish, shellfish, seaweed and sediments. He is satisfied that this monitoring would be sensitive to any significant releases of radioactivity from Beaufort Dyke, none of which has ever been detected.
I want to allay concerns about the possibility of future dumpings of radioactive materials. The position is that Ireland and the UK are both parties to the International London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (1972). In 1993 all contracting parties, with the exception of Russia, agreed to a permanent ban on marine nuclear dumping. Prior to this there had been a moratorium on all such dumping in operation since 1982. I have been given an absolute assurance by the Minister that nothing untoward has happened since that date.
I wish the Minister, Deputy Woods, every success in his new portfolio. I am sure he will get the same co-operation from the officials that I was privileged to get during my time in the Department.
In view of the disclosure of information that was hidden by successive British Ministers, does the Minister agree the least we should expect from the British Government is a full inquiry into why the information was concealed from another sovereign Government who has a keen interest in the safety of lives on both sides of the Irish Sea and on the possible damage to fish life? Did the Minister ask his opposite number in the British Government why a full inquiry will not be carried out and that all documents should be made available? Does he agree that for far too long it was acceptable to dump all types of material in the sea, but that it is now up to us to ensure our strict legislative efforts are carried through by other members of the European Union, particularly by the British Government?
I thank the Deputy for his good wishes on my appointment and, like the Deputy when he was Minister, I will be as co-operative as possible in respect of all matters.
The question of an inquiry will arise if we do not get the necessary information. The British Minister was open with my predecessor in respect of the dumping of munitions in Beaufort Dyke. This information was discovered by a member of the Minister's staff in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It was on public record. It was not hidden, but nobody saw it because of the volume of information available. Assurances were given that there was nothing to report.
An inquiry is a matter for the UK Government in the first instance. From our point of view the proper procedure is to get what information we can. We will get it in a matter of weeks. The Minister has a team of five people working on this. He has taken it quite seriously and is anxious to maintain the relationship he had with the previous Minister to get this information. We will see where we stand at that stage.
The Deputy asked that all the documents and papers be made available and the British Minister has undertaken to make them available to us. More importantly, scientific personnel are available to us through the task force to analyse, examine and advise us on the documentation. I will make that information public. I want to get to the bottom of this issue.
While I note the Minister's acceptance of the genuine approach being taken by the British Minister, it is a scandal that successive British Ministers prior to his arrival concealed this information, which is not unimportant to people living on this island, particularly to those engaged in the fishing industry. It is also important because of the damage that could be caused from consumption of fish caught from the Irish Sea. If a sovereign Government hides vital information from another Government we should ask for a full inquiry into why that happened. Will the Minister give an assurance that all the necessary information will be made available to our scientists so that they, on our behalf, can confirm to people living on this island that there is no risk to human or fish life?
I agree with the Deputy that this is a particularly important issue. When news of it broke on Monday I quickly become involved. I have set a number of procedures in train. The British Minister agreed to meet me at short notice because he was particularly disturbed about this issue. I had discussions with scientists from the Marine Institute and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. I have gained a good deal of knowledge and information. I want research information and all other relevant information compiled and simply documented. I hope the task force will undertake that work. I want to be assured and to give assurance that radioactive materials will not be dumped in the Irish Sea. I made that clear to my counterpart in Britain and he was forthright and agreeable about that.
I am responsible for regulating the dumping of materials in the Irish Sea, marine life, the foreshore and our waters. It is vital to communities on both sides of the Irish Sea this matter should be dealt with thoroughly now. I want it dealt with scientifically and thoroughly. I do not want terms like "acceptable levels" used; I want the issue put in its proper context and to see figures. I made that clear to the British Minister. There were aspects of the information we received that were incomplete and I want them delved into more deeply. I can assure the Deputy that I want to get to the bottom of this issue. I want all the information on the table. If we proceed in this way at this time, we will do a service to communities on both sides of the Irish Sea.
