John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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160. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment how Ireland's public and private hospitals deal with radioactive waste; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4051/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Under the Radiological Protection Act 1991 (Ionising Radiation) Regulations 2019, the use of radioactive substances and management of the radioactive waste is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Radioactive sources can be either sealed or unsealed.

The most common radioactive substances that are used for medical purposes are unsealed. They have a short half-life, and only remain active for a short time period. Short lived unsealed (e.g. liquid) radioactive waste is stored in a dedicated secure storeroom in the hospital, until it reaches background radiation levels and is therefore no longer radioactive. The waste can then be disposed of in conventional waste streams.

Radioactive sealed sources acquired from outside of Ireland must have takeback agreements in place with the supplier/manufacturer in order for the EPA to authorise their import. When these sealed sources reach the end of their useful life they are returned to the supplier under the takeback agreement, with the prior approval from the EPA.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 require all household waste collection companies to provide their customers with a brown bin collection service, however, they do not require this additional service to be provided free of charge.

Private waste collectors operate under a waste collection permit issued by the National Waste Collection Permit Office (NWCPO). These permits include a requirement that waste collection charging systems should incentivise customers to source segregate their waste, therefore the fees charged for the collection of residual waste should be higher than the fees charged for the collection of the brown bin or mixed dry recyclables bin.

The terms and conditions of individual waste collection contracts, including pricing plans for the provision of bins, are matters between the waste collection companies and their customers, subject to compliance with the terms of their NWCPO permit.