Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 567: To ask the Minister for Health the arrangements in place to ensure that he is notified by the World Health Organisation of any health risks associated with radioactivity from nuclear plants around the world; if he has been notified of any health risks associated with the recent leaks from the Fukushima plant in Japan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18447/11]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 595: To ask the Minister for Health if he has requested that the World Health Organisation share with member states and the general public the information on air contamination from the Fukushima accident that it is receiving from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18628/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 567 and 595 together.

Public health risks of potential international concern, including radionuclear risks, are notified by the WHO to all Member States. In addition, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) has been receiving information on the situation at the Fukushima site and the consequences of the accident since its occurrence on 11 March from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and the EC through the European Community Urgent Radiological Information Exchange (ECURIE) system. Regular situation updates and meetings of the Nuclear National Co-ordinating Group which is chaired by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government have also taken place.

The RPII's monitoring systems are designed to detect radioactivity at levels far below those that could have health impacts and the RPII has detected trace amounts of radioactivity in air, rainwater and milk samples. The levels measures were very low and far below those which would cause concern for public health. They were comparable to levels found in other European countries, including at those observed from the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CBTO) European monitoring stations. The RPII issued a series of statements on their monitoring results after Fukushima and also provides access to their environmental data on their website (www.rpii.ie), including live data from their national radiation monitoring network. Data from the CTBTO monitoring stations in Germany, Japan and elsewhere are publicly available via the German radiation protection authority's website at http://www.bfs.de/de/ion/imis/ctbto_aktivitaetskonzentrationen_jod.gif.