Finally, we have a draft report on a series of complicated proposals relating to the environment, namely, toxic and dangerous wastes disposal, dumping of waste at sea, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances, protection of health of workers in the plastics industry, and protection of foodstuffs from VCM contamination. These were dealt with in great detail and very comprehensively by the sub-Committee. Let me direct your attention to page 3, where it is stated:

The Joint Committee is informed that proposals for legislation are in fact being prepared and that a survey is being carried out through local authorities to determine the extent of the problem nationally.

The dumping of waste at sea is another very topical issue at the moment and is becoming increasingly important, particularly, for those who have the responsibility for looking after an island on the western seaboard. We have a provision in fisheries legislation on the dumping of deleterious matter in the sea. The Dumping at Sea Bill, 1976, was introduced in the Seanad and its purpose is to enable this country to ratify two Conventions, the Oslo Convention and the London Convention. The object of the draft Directive is to ensure harmonisation in domestic measures. We are informed that the Bill will not be tied to any list of substances so that it will be possible to give legal effect to the draft Directive as well as to the Conventions.

How will it be done?

Apparently the Dumping at Sea Bill is to enable the Conventions to be ratified. Perhaps the Senator will see to it that the Bill which has been introduced in the Seanad will be expedited?

I now want to direct your attention to page 7, where it is stated in relation to the packaging and labelling of dangerous substances:

The Joint Committee understands that in Ireland there are small scale industries engaged on research and development up to a certain stage of new chemical substances which are then sold to manufacturers for further development.

The draft report further states in this connection:

Accordingly the Joint Committee considers that the specified tests should not be required on substances at an intermediate stage of development.

That is a reasonable safeguard for small Irish industries. The draft report then states:

The Joint Committee believes that these regulations should be as comprehensive as possible and should include all relevant amendments of the original Directive including, if possible, amendments arising from the adoption of the present proposal.

There is another proposal about workers in plastics industries. Our information is that none of the processes referred to in the draft Directive is at present carried out in this country and accordingly its provisions will have no immediate effects here.

How are vinyl cyanide products transported? Are they brought by train from Dublin to Killala, in Mayo, for the Asahi plant?

That is a different matter. PVC moulding compounds are processed by a firm in Balbriggan. They make strong lightweight plastic drainage pipes.

Wavin.

Exactly. They deal with vinyl chloride polymers. This draft Directive is concerned with the workers in the industry which are producing that raw material for Wavin.

It is a big export business.

The final proposal dealt with in this draft report deals with VCM Contamination. This is where foodstuffs are packaged in materials containing VCM, like plastic tubs, etc. Generally speaking, it is not expected that the draft Directive will cause any problems for Irish manufacturers. The proposed measure is desirable in the interests of consumers.

We acknowledge with thanks the assistance we received from the Food, Drink and Tobacco Federation, the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards and Professor George Dawson, Faculty of Natural Sciences, T.C.D.