Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will do my best to reply in as comprehensive a fashion as I can to the various points that have been raised.

It has been suggested that the potential exists for expertise to be lost as a result of this measure. I assure the House that this will not happen. All of the inspectors and scientific and administrative staff of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland will transfer to the Environmental Protection Agency. It is important to state for the record that they will continue in their current roles after the merger.

In addition, arrangements have been made to provide that the chief executive officer of the RPII, Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, will become a fifth director of the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, for a transitional period up to 30 April 2016 to ensure there is no loss of corporate memory and help radiological protection functions bed down in the newly merged organisation. The chairman should be assured on that point.

All staff of the RPII will transfer to the EPA and their statutory terms and conditions of employment, pay and superannuation will be protected. For professional staff, there will be some additional benefits. For example, radiological inspectors will gain additional legal protections while undertaking bona fides duties relating to the radiological protection functions of the agency that they do not currently possesses in the EPA. There will be certain additional statutory terms and conditions under the 1992 Environmental Protection Agency Act which will apply to staff transferring there which will include the requirement to declare any relevant interests they may have and a prohibition on running for local government office while still serving as an RPII staff member.

Everyone agrees on the dangers of nuclear waste and its effect on the environment. We have been implementing a radioactive material source reduction programme over the past several years which has involved several Departments and agencies. The number of sources of relevant radioactive waste has been reduced from some 3,300 to just over 100.

The provision of independent scientific advice on radiological matters will still exist in law. The EPA will be obliged to provide this function. All the necessary expertise will transfer to the EPA to do so.

Will this legislation allow Ireland to ratify the International Atomic Energy Agency Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, CPPNM? The Attorney General’s office has provided comprehensive advice and instructions as to how the amendment to the CPPNM requires to be incorporated into Irish law so that we may ratify it. All of these elements either have been included in existing legislation or will be provided for by the enactment of this Bill. Other aspects to the CPPNM will be given effect after Ireland ratifies it and the amending convention comes into operation.

The irony of Senator Walsh raising the point about this not being ratified between 2005 and 2011 is not lost on me. I accept the point was made in good faith.