Vol. 544 No. 4
161 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the level of contamination by radioactive waste by a company (details supplied) in the United Kingdom on the marine environment; the likely long-term implications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29131/01]
I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 67 of 20 June 2001. As I pointed out in my reply to that parliamentary question, details of the level of discharges of radioactive waste from the Sellafield plant and radioactive contamination of the Irish marine environment are set out in a series of bi-annual reports published by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland – RPII. The most recent report published by the RPII, covers the period 1998-99. The more recent RPII data covering the year 2000 and the first quarter of this year are available on the RPII's website, www.rpii.ie.
As I also pointed out in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 67 on 20 June 2000, the continued contamination of the Irish marine environment from the Sellafield reprocessing plant is totally unacceptable and I am continuing to exert the maximum pressure on the UK authorities for the cessation of radioactive discharges. The legal action which the Irish Government is taking against the UK in regard to the Sellafield MOX plant is an indication of the Government's determination to bring about the cessation of operations at Sellafield.
