David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 292: To ask the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Question No. 108 of 20 May 2010, the way in which the human bio-monitoring project mentioned in her response will impact on her decision not to conduct a baseline health study for the Cork Harbour region; if she will provide details on the way in which the group convened by the Office of Public Works to develop a structured and coherent approach to the further management and development of the site at Haulbowline will impact on ongoing health concerns in the Cork Harbour region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31586/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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As I indicated in response to a question from the Deputy on 20 May last, Ireland has joined an EU wide consortium in relation to two human bio-monitoring (HBM) projects. The objective of this consortium is to develop a coherent approach to HBM in Europe. The consortium has applied to the European Commission for funding in respect of two projects. The first project will concentrate on developing harmonised protocols in order to ensure comparison of subsequent data. The second project will involve a pilot project using the protocols developed in the first project. There is no connection between the HBM initiative and the situation in Cork Harbour.

With regard to the work of the group which has been convened by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to develop a structured and coherent approach to the further management and development of the site at Haulbowline, I have raised this with the OPW and have requested that they reply directly to the Deputy.

Regarding ongoing health concerns, I would again like to draw attention to the outcome of the report commissioned by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which found that "there are no identified risks to the residential inhabitants of Cork Harbour associated with the presence of waste materials at the East Tip on Haulbowline Island".