John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

There is an acceptance that a proper inventory of contaminated sites is the least that is required. Two inventories are currently being completed. The first relates to old mines and is being prepared by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the EPA. It is expected to be published before the end of the year. The second relates to old municipal waste disposal sites which will be required to be identified by 30 June 2009. While the Department does not hold a list of sites that may require remediation, the sites at which the types of activities which potentially give rise to environmental legacy issues occurred include mines, railway yards, petrol stations, oil depots, gas works and chemical and other industrial installations.

Activity in this area is also under way at EU level. Under a proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and the European Council establishing a framework for the protection of soil, various initiatives are proposed which may require, inter alia, the identification and remediation of old contaminated sites. Ireland is supportive of this proposal, but our support is measured in that we are anxious to have a long lead-in time for the transposition and implementation given current financial and budgetary constraints.

See this speech in context