Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 865: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the latest information available to his Department on radioactive discharges from the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing station; if he is satisfied with the assurances given by BNFL and British authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10318/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland receives data on a quarterly basis from the UK Environment Agency on radioactive discharges from the Sellafield plant. The figures provided show monthly discharges and cover a total of 30 different radionuclides.

The data available to the institute show that the level of discharges of some radionuclides has remained constant, others show an increase and others show a reduction. Significantly, there has been a marked reduction in recent years in discharges of Technetium-99. Discharges of Technetium-99, which is a radionuclide with a very long half-life, have been a matter of concern not just to Ireland but also to some of the Nordic countries, notably Norway.

Radioactive discharges from Sellafield are authorised, within prescribed limits, by the UK Environment Agency. The annual discharge authorisation limit in respect of Technetium-99 discharges from Sellafield was reduced in October 2004 by the agency from 90 terabecquerels per annum to 20 terabecquerels. I understand this will be further reduced shortly to ten terabecquerels per annum.

The Irish Government regards discharges from Sellafield into the Irish Sea as totally unacceptable. The Government, in accordance with the commitment in the agreed programme for Government, has taken significant steps to bring about the reduction of radioactive discharges from Sellafield as well as the ultimate closure of the plant. This policy objective has been advanced through direct contact with the UK, both at ministerial and official level, through action within multilateral environmental agreements, in particular the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, and through legal actions under the OSPAR convention itself as well as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The adoption in 1998 of the OSPAR strategy with regard to radioactive substances by the contracting parties to the OSPAR convention, which include Ireland and the UK, was a recognition of the concerns expressed by a number of OSPAR contracting parties, notably Ireland and some Nordic countries, about radioactive discharges to the marine environment. The objective of this strategy is that by the year 2020, discharges of radioactive substances to the marine environment are reduced, by way of progressive and substantial reductions, to levels where the additional concentrations in the marine environment above historic levels arising from such discharges, are close to zero.

The first of a number of periodic evaluation reports on progress towards achievement of the objectives of the strategy is currently being prepared by OSPAR for consideration at the next OSPAR Commission meeting, which will take place at end of June 2006.

While the UK Government has stressed that it is committed to implementing the OSPAR strategy, Ireland will remain actively involved in the OSPAR process to ensure that the strategy is fully implemented by all contracting parties in a manner consistent with the aims of the strategy and within the 2020 timeframe.