Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has co-ordinated a risk assessment strategy with the Department of Defence in the event of a US military aircraft containing depleted uranium ammunition crashing in the Shannon region (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13386/07]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The transport by air of munitions of war through Irish territory or Irish airspace requires the approval of the Minister for Transport, in the case of civil aircraft, or the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in the case of military aircraft. I understand from the Department of Foreign Affairs that neither that Department nor the Department of Transport has received any request for permission to transport depleted uranium ammunition through or above Irish territory from the period up to the Iraq war to the present day.

There are comprehensive emergency plans in place to respond to any accident or disaster in Ireland. In the event, therefore of an aircraft carrying such cargo crashing in Ireland, these emergency plans would be activated.

As part of an ongoing focus on major emergency preparedness and response, the Government, in September 2006, published A Framework for Major Emergency Management. The purpose of the new Framework is to put in place arrangements that will enable the three principal response agencies, namely, An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive and the local authorities to coordinate their efforts in the event of a major emergency. The Government put in place a Major Emergency Development Programme to implement these new arrangements. My Department chairs a National Steering Group to oversee and drive this Programme and to maintain the Framework into the future. As part of this Programme the National Steering Group are currently engaged with a number of Government Departments and Agencies to support them in the risk assessment process.