Dr. Cecil Beamish:

There are three elements: the east tip, the steelworks site and the south tip. We have just received planning approval for the east tip, which is the subject of the judgment from the European Court of Justice, and the EPA has notified us that it is making a decision on this, subject to objections. Once the two consents are in place and there are ongoing geotechnical studies on the site a detailed engineered solution for the east tip can be finalised, taking account of the conditions attached to the EPA decision and the planning permission from An Bord Pleanála.

The proposed solution is to construct an engineered structure around the edge of the east tip, which is on the foreshore. This will be a boundary 900 m long and 4 m or 5 m high. It will be rock armoured, etc. It must comply with what is required by the EPA licence. There will be an engineered cap and surface water drainage to the rest of the east tip site.

There are approximately 650,000 cu. m of waste on this part of the island. Approximately 150,000 cu. m of subsoil and topsoil will be required in a capping exercise as part of the engineered solution. The Department has applied for a licence to take some foreshore samples from an adjacent sand spit to see if some of that material can be used.