Vol. 468 No. 1
222 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the monitoring, if any that takes place in relation to radiation levels in the Irish Sea and the atmosphere generally; if the British authorities make a financial contribution towards this service in view of the activities of the United Kingdom nuclear industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14739/96]
The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland monitors radioactivity in the environment to assess the risk to the Irish population arising from radioactive contamination. The results of the monitoring programme are published regularly by the institute. The programme includes measurements of radioactivity levels in the air, on the ground, in live sheeps, foodstuffs and in a range of samples from the seas around Ireland.
In relation to the Irish Sea, the monitoring programme involves the routine sampling and analysis of seawater, seaweeds, sediments, from the Irish Sea coastline and fish and shellfish from landings at the east coast fishing ports. Samples of seawater and sediments are also collected from areas of the Irish Sea from south of Dublin extending to the north of Dundalk Bay.
The results of the RPII's monitoring programme in 1995 indicate that the radiation dose to any individual in Ireland resulting from Sellafield discharges is small. However, regardless of any reported levels, the Irish Government continues to find objectionable any radioactive contamination of the Irish Sea.
These monitoring activities are funded from the Exchequer grant-in-aid payment to the institute and no financial contribution is made by the UK authorities. However, the institute has cooperated with the environment service, Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland and the department of experimental physics, UCD, in studies of the radioactivity levels of the two estuaries of mutual interest — Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough. Both studies showed that the radioactivity levels in the estuaries were of negligible radiological significance.
