Vol. 485 No. 2
56 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the meeting, if any, she has had with the British Minister responsible for nuclear discharges to the Irish Sea; if she raised the issue of the doubling of the radionucleid technetium 99 found in seaweed in the Irish Sea; the action or proposals, if any, she has to reduce and prevent this radioactive pollution of the Irish Sea; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22776/97]
On 14 November 1997, I met Mr. Michael Meacher, MP, the UK Minister for the Environment. At that meeting, I drew his attention to the Irish Government's serious concerns relating to the UK nuclear industry, including its concerns about the significant increases in concentrations of technetium 99 in the Irish Sea.
The Minister, Mr. Meacher, informed me the UK intends to implement a programme of reduction of these discharges. Notwithstanding this, I emphasised to him the Government's desire for a cessation of such discharges into the Irish Sea and pointed out that Ireland would pursue this matter vigorously, as it has done in the past, under the auspices of the Oslo/Paris Convention. I refer the Deputy to my reply to his Question No. 20 on 12 November 1997, regarding technetium 99. The measurements taken by the RPII of technetium 99 in a range of fish and shellfish samples between 1996 and 1997 show that the dose to seafood consumers does not give rise to concern.
