Brian O'Shea
Question:227 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which radioactive waste from hospitals is disposed of; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31677/01]
Written Answers. - Hospital Waste.
Arrangements for storage and disposal of radioactive waste arising from the administration of health care services in hospitals are the responsibility of the individual hospital authorities. These responsibilities are discharged under licences issued to the relevant health agencies by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII. The institute ensures that the arrangements are satisfactory through its licensing conditions and supervisory role.
Deirdre Clune
Question:228 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which hospital and clinical waste is to be disposed of in a safe and efficient manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31678/01]
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.