Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

What I said was part of a long question. This is a very serious issue at the heart of Cork Harbour. A couple of hundred yards from the site young people sail boats and Ireland's Naval Service headquarters are next door. We are being told the Minister of State knew nothing of what was under the surface for five years after taking over a site that had been a steelworks. Is that the case? Is the Minister of State saying that until recently we knew nothing about what material was under the ground?

The Minister of State said all hazardous waste had been exported to Germany. Has other waste from the site been disposed of in Ireland? If so, where? Given the incompetence that has been shown in this issue, people will not believe the waste disposed of in Ireland is not contaminated.

When did the Minister of State find out that chromium 6 was part of the waste material under Haulbowline? Can she give me a date? Has a Green Party Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government been in office for a year without telling anybody about it? The Minister of State suggests we should come to a conclusion on how to deal with any hazardous material at the site only when we decide what to do with the site. That is a secondary issue. The first issue relates to human health and the environmental pollution of Cork harbour

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