Vol. 546 No. 3
216 Mrs. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Health and Children the arrangements which are in place in County Kerry for the disposal of hospital waste; the contractor who has been approved; where the waste is being disposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31627/01]
In 1994 my Department produced a health services waste policy aimed at reducing the impact on the environment of waste arising in the public health service and improving conditions for those handling the waste. The policy set out basic principles relating to the generation and management of waste. This included the segregation of waste into domestic type waste and the potentially hazardous fraction known as health care risk waste. A strategy of using non-incineration, shredding and decontamination technology has been pursued for the health care risk waste.
Health care risk waste from virtually all publicly funded health care agencies is now disposed of through a national contract. The contract specification covers the collection, treatment and final disposal of health care risk waste to the highest environmental and health and safety standards.
The waste is processed in a shredding and disinfection plant which operates under an Environmental Protection Agency licence. The sterilised residue is disposed of to a licensed commercial landfill site under strict conditions. The non-risk waste follows the disposal route of municipal or commercial waste to authorised landfills.
Guidance on the proper segregation and handling of health care waste was issued by the Department to health boards and major acute hospitals in 1999.
As the arrangements for the management of hospital risk waste in public hospitals in County Kerry are primarily the responsibility of the Southern Health Board, I have asked the chief executive officer of the board to reply directly to the Deputy on this matter.
