Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 136: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the procedure for disposal of hospital waste including radioactive material; the number of such locations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36972/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Hospital waste falls into two broad categories, clinical or health care risk waste and non-risk waste. Health care risk waste makes up about 20% of the waste generated in acute hospitals and consists of material or sharp items with the potential to cause injury or infect those who come into contact with the waste. It is classified as hazardous and over 95% of this waste is disposed of by disinfection treatment at Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, licensed plants prior to final disposal. The final disposal is by means of controlled landfilling at a site which is also licensed by the EPA. There are two contractors collecting health care risk waste operating licensed treatment plants, both of which are located in Dublin. The fraction of health care risk waste unsuitable for disposal by disinfection is sent to Belgium or Holland for incineration at suitable licensed hazardous waste facilities.

The use of radioactive substances and sources, in sealed or unsealed form, together with the accumulation, storage and disposal of radioactive waste in hospitals is controlled by conditions laid down under licence issued by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII. The terms of the licences normally require used sealed sources to be returned to the supplier. Unsealed substances are usually short-lived and it is normally permissible to store waste arising until its activity has decayed to a level where it may be safely disposed of as non-radioactive waste.

Hospital non-risk waste makes up over 80% of the waste generated in acute hospitals and nearly all of the waste in non-acute hospitals. It is largely domestic in nature and is disposed of through the normal municipal or commercial waste disposal route for non-hazardous waste. This is done at numerous EPA licensed facilities by contractors holding waste collection permits issued by the local-regional waste authorities.