Liz McManus
Question:36 Ms McManus asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if he has received the report of the task force on radioactive dumping in the Irish sea; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3878/98]
Written Answers. - Radioactive Waste.
As I indicated in reply to a written question on 28 January last, the work of the task force on the dumping of radioactive materials in the maritime area is at an advanced stage and I expect its report to be published in March. Deputies will recall that I established the task force last year in the wake of revelations by the UK authorities that documents had been discovered in the public record office in London which indicated that radioactive waste had been dumped in Beaufort's Dyke in the north Irish Sea during the 1950s. Subsequent archival searches revealed hitherto unreported instances of dumping in Beaufort's Dyke and at a number of other locations around the coast of the United Kingdom during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
The task force was asked to review and assess the information becoming available on the dumping of radioactive materials in the maritime area and, based on this review, to advise on survey/monitoring and management measures so as to ensure maximum protection to our marine resources and restore public confidence in the quality of the marine environment. The task force is chaired by Nuala Butler, barrister, and includes representatives from the Radiological Protection Institute, University College Dublin, the Marine Institute, the Department of Public Enterprise and the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.