Sellafield discharges into the Irish Sea
Collins calls for radioactive discharges to stop and asks when the UK will reduce them. Barry supports reducing discharges as quickly as reasonably achievable and ending them as soon as possible using the best available technology; he cites planned UK measures but cannot say when they will take effect. He says other Irish Ministers discussed the issue with their UK counterparts and offers to obtain details of those discussions.
Is the Minister aware that nuclear waste from Sellafield daily pumps up to one million gallons of radioactive waste into the Irish Sea and that ¼ tonne of plutonium, or enough in theory to kill 250 million people, has been discharged to date? Will the Minister agree that all discharges into the Irish Sea must be stopped?
Comment on this
I presume the Deputy is asking me if I accept that emissions from Sellafield are at an acceptable level and, of course, my answer to that is "no". Ireland's position on the question of discharges of radioactive waste into the marine environment is that such discharges should be reduced as quickly as possible to a level as low as is reasonably achievable — the so-called ALARA principle enunciated by the International Commission for Radiological Protection — and that they should be discontinued as soon as possible by using the best technology available. This has been made clear in international fora and has also been conveyed to the UK authorities on a number of occasions.
Comment on this
Accepting the stand of the Government on this issue of levels, will the Minister say when he expects action to be taken by the British authorities who have responsibility for Sellafield to reduce the levels being pumped into the Irish Sea on a daily basis? Is it likely to happen next year, in five years time or in ten years time?
Comment on this
I do not know the answer to that. All I can say is that the British Government recently gave details to the Commission of planned measures to reduce further discharges from the Sellafield plant. How long it will take to bring those measures into effect I will find out for the Deputy.
Comment on this
Had the Minister discussions with his opposite number in the UK Government on this important issue?
Comment on this
No, I have not had discussions but I am aware that the Minister for Energy and the Environment had discussions with their opposite numbers.
Comment on this
If the Deputy puts down a question to the appropriate Minister he will get that information or, if the Deputy wishes, I will get the information and convey it to him.