Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 20 Nov 1996

Vol. 471 No. 7

Written Answers. - Beaufort Dyke Ammunition Dump.

Noel Dempsey

Ceist:

444 Mr. Dempsey asked the Minister for the Marine further to the statement of Minister of State, Deputy Gilmore, in a newspaper article (details supplied) that the results of water sampling and an undersea television survey of the ammunition dump in Beaufort Dyke will be made available to the Irish authorities, whether such results have been gathered; if so, if he will make this information available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22084/96]

Noel Dempsey

Ceist:

445 Mr. Dempsey asked the Minister for the Marine further to the statement of Minister of State, Deputy Gilmore, in a newspaper article (details supplied) that the results of water sampling and an undersea television survey of the ammunition dump in Beaufort Dyke will be made available to the Irish authorities and, in view of the fact that this information has not been gathered and passed on as promised by the United Kingdom and announced by him in September 1995, if he will publish the correspondence, if any, between his Department and the United Kingdom on the representations he has made to pursue this specific issue. [22085/96]

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Barrett)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 444 and 445 together.

The report referred to by Deputy Dempsey relates to a survey of the Beaufort Dyke munitions site which was published by the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department in January 1996. I am arranging for a copy of the report to be sent to the Deputy for his information.

I am pleased to note from that report that an analysis of edible fish and shellfish showed no significant pollution. The analysis of seabed sediment showed that levels of heavy metals were similar to the safe levels elsewhere.

I was concerned, however, to note that the survey identified dumping of munitions outside the confines of the charted dumpsite. My colleague at the Department of the Marine, Minister of State Gilmore raised these concerns with the UK Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and the Environment, Scottish Office, Lord Lindsay and the Parliamentary Undersecretary of State, UK Ministery of Defence, Lord Howe at a meeting in London earlier this year. It was agreed at that meeting that the Scottish Office would undertake a new study on the Beaufort's Dyke dumpsite in order to remap and rechart the extent of the dumpsite and distribution of munitions within the site. British and Irish scientists co-operated on the methodology and methods of analysis for the study. The survey was completed at the end of August and it is expected that the report will be published within the next few weeks.

A senior chemist from the Marine Institute will be meeting with British scientists before the report is published. Arrangements are under way for a meeting with Lord Howe and Lord Lindsay in December to assess the results of the survey and to discuss what further steps are required.