Vol. 491 No. 6
107 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the actions, if any, taken by her Department in view of the revelations contained in a report published by Greenpeace International on the level of radioactivity in the Irish Sea emanating from the Sellafield nuclear processing plant. [13077/98]
A statement released by Greenpeace last week highlighted the existence of elevated concentrations of the radionuclides americium-241, caesium-137 and cobalt-60 in seabed sediment in the vicinity of Sellafield's discharge pipe. I have consulted with the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland who have advised me that their marine monitoring results for 1997 indicate that comparatively small levels of caseium-137 and americium-241 have been detected in sediments in Irish coastal waters. No cobalt-60 was detected. While the levels of these radionuclides are significantly lower on this side of the Irish Sea, it is highly objectionable that the contamination of our marine environment should result from the operation of nuclear installations in another State. The findings have value as added evidence in support of Ireland's opposition to these discharges.
The RPII have advised me that the Greenpeace findings, while of considerable interest in themselves, do not have direct bearing on the risk to people in Ireland from the Sellafield discharges. This risk is determined by data from our own coastal waters and from fish landed at Irish ports. On the basis of such data, derived from their own measurements, the RPII consider that levels of radioactive contamination of the Irish Sea, do not justify misgivings on health grounds about eating fish from the Irish Sea, or about swimming or engaging in any other activity in or near the sea along the east coast of Ireland.
The Deputy may be aware that I met with Greenpeace on 28 May, last to discuss our shared concerns about discharges from Sellafield. At that meeting I explained that I would be pressing the Irish Government's case for the ultimate elimination of these discharges at a meeting of the OSPAR Commission next July. Ireland, supported by Denmark, Norway and Iceland has been to the forefront of discussions relating to the formulation of an appropriate strategy to guide the future work of the OSPAR Commission. Indeed, we have tabled a number of amendments to the strategy aimed at strengthening the text. I wish to assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to play an active role within OSPAR and other international fora, pressing for our ultimate aim of eliminating the discharge of radioactive substances into the marine environment.
