Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Dec 1996

Vol. 472 No. 6

Written Answers. - OSPAR Report.

Eric J. Byrne

Ceist:

28 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for the Marine the progress, if any, which has been made with regard to the environmental quality status report on the area covered by OSPAR, particularly Region III; if this will include a comprehensive listing of the munitions sites off the United Kingdom and Irish coasts; when the report will be completed; if the report will be made public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19911/96]

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Barrett)

Work has commenced on the preparation of the environmental quality status report, OSPAR, for the entire area covered by the convention for the protection of the marine environment of the north-east Atlantic, OSPAR, to which Ireland is a party. For the purpose of the report the convention area has been divided into five sub-regions.

Ireland and the United Kingdom are required to prepare the report in respect of that part of the north east Atlantic region — Celtic Seas — extending westwards of the UK mainland to the edge of the continental shelf, 200 metre depth. The area includes all of Ireland's marine and coastal areas.

The report will comprise of: a compilation of existing knowledge, physics, chemistry, biology, human activities, of the area; an assessment of this information in relation to agreed critera of environmental quality; and a statement of the prevailing condition of the area.

In conjunction with similar reports on the four other parts of the OSPAR region, the Celtic Seas QSR will be assimilated into a convention-wide QSR that will be published in the year 2000. It is expected that the draft of the report in respect of the Irish-UK region will be completed early in 1998.

The Irish contribution to the QSR is being managed by the Marine Institute on behalf of the Departments of the Environment and of the Marine. The institute has established a QSR office at the Forbairt laboratory in Shannon, County Clare, staffed by a team of four marine scientists. The team is lead by Mr. Rick Boelens, a recognised international expert in marine environmental science, who has been seconded to the institute for this two year project.

With regard to the Deputy's question on the inclusion of an inventory of munitions dumpsites off the UK and Irish coastlines into the QSR, this matter was raised by Ireland at a recent scientific working group of OSPAR. Agreement was reached on having such an inventory included in the QSR. The completion of an inventory will be the first step towards development of guidelines for the management and monitoring of such sites. Ireland was represented at this meeting by an officer of the Marine Institute.

With regard to the Beaufort Dyke munitions dumpsite in particular, Deputies will be aware that my colleague at the Department of the Marine, the Minister of State, Deputy Gilmore, met 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, in London last February to discuss the management and monitoring of this dumpsite. It was agreed at that meeting that the Scottish Ofice would undertake a new study of the Beaufort Dyke dumpsite in order to remap and rechart the extent of the dumpsite and distribution of munitions within the site. This study was completed in August and the report of the study was published on 28 November. The level of co-operation between officials and scientists of both Governments in relation to the carrying out of the survey was excellent.

I am pleased that the pattern of distribution of dumped munitions and the extent of the dumpsite have now been established in so far as this is practically possible. This information increases our knowledge in relation to the dumpsite and will assist in ensuring that any activities in the region of the site will not result in disturbances. The Minister of State, Deputy Gilmore will be meeting with Lord Lindsay and Lord Howe in Dublin this month to assess the results of the report and to discuss what further steps are now required.