Vol. 514 No. 3
63 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the legislation or other measures, if any, planned to ensure that metals and other materials arising from decommissioned nuclear installations are not recycled into the commercial marketplace. [4163/00]
Under the Radiological Protection Act, 1991 (General Control of Radioactive Substances, Nuclear Devices and Irradiating Apparatus) Order, 1993, S.I. No. 151 of 1993, the use of radioactive substances, including contaminated metals and other materials which might arise from the decommissioning of nuclear installations is prohibited except under a licence issued by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. Only very small and trivial amounts of radioactivity would be exempt from this requirement as provided for in the relevant EU directive. My Department is currently preparing legislation which will replace SI 151 of 1993 and give effect to EU Directive 96/29 on Basic Safety Standards for the Protection of Workers and the General Public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation. It similarly prohibits the use, recycling or re-use of radioactive substances except where licensed by the institute.
I have been advised by the institute that there is no evidence that there are consumer goods in Ireland which contain recycled radioactive contaminated material. It is doubtful whether any producer of consumer goods would permit contaminated materials to be used in the manufacture of consumer goods.
