asked the Minister for Defence if he will take immediate steps to prevent the construction of an explosives dump in an open field adjacent to the community and national schools, new housing area amenity and leisure walks, playing area and church in Ballincollig, County Cork in view of the unsuitability of this location for the siting of such a dump creating a potential hazard for the residents of this area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ballincollig (Cork) Explosives Dump.
6.
I do not accept the implication in the Deputy's question. The project, which will be on a securely enclosed site, is centrally located on my Department's lands at Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig. The site was selected after thorough investigation and with due regard to safety and security factors.
Extensive and up-to-date safety measures are incorporated in the project.
Can the Minister assure the House that there will be no risk to the civilian population of this area as a result of the siting of this explosives dump in this high density area of Cork? How would this compare in terms of size with any of the other sites his Department have in any other part of the country, particularly County Wicklow?
I know this is the Deputy's question. He refers to it as such in the question but I would ask him to refrain from calling this an explosives dump. It is not an explosives dump. It is a properly designed commercial explosives magazine with the necessary security, safety and alarm systems incorporated in it. It is an unfortunate appellation to apply to this facility.
In relation to its size, it is quite small. It has four small magazines separated by safety traverses. It has detection equipment, alarm arrangements and peripheral fencing. It has all the up-to-date facilities that will make this place as safe as is humanly possible.
In relation to its location there is a criterion laid down vis-à-vis these explosives that are stored here that anything beyond 240 metres is not regarded as a danger area and at no point does that distance extend beyond the peripheral wall of our own land. So I do not see any great danger. In so far as giving guarantees are concerned, I am not in the guarantee giving business. But this is a professionally built facility with up to date provisions for safety, detection alarms, peripheral fencing and so on. It has all the necessary features that are nowadays applied to such facilities and people in the vicinity need have no worries about their safety.
Will the enclosed area be out of bounds to the public?
It is enclosed by a very secure peripheral fence with detection devices on that fence.