Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 February 2022
206. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current situation regarding legacy dumping of nuclear waste in the State’s south-western waters; the risk analysis that has been undertaken; the threat from military activity from other states in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5591/22]
View answerDisposal of nuclear waste into the sea from vessels is prohibited under the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, more commonly known as the London Convention. However, dumping of low-level radioactive waste in the Atlantic was carried out by a number of European countries between 1949 and 1982. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carries out an annual programme of radioactivity monitoring in the Irish marine environment. While the influence of radioactive releases from the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s and the Chernobyl accident in 1986 can be seen, there is no evidence of releases from dumping sites having a measurable impact on Irish waters or the coast in the analysis of shore-line samples taken.
Questions relating to specific threats posed by military activity should be addressed to the Department of Defence.
