Vol. 502 No. 5
21 Ms. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the plans, if any, he has to purchase a submersible or remotely operated vehicle which can examine the condition and safety of dumps, such as the Beaufort Dyke dump; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8562/99]
I outlined to the House on 4 November 1998 the actions which I took with the UK authorities and at international level regarding the dumping of munitions.
The monitoring and management of such dumpsites are matters requiring close collaboration with the UK authorities within whose maritime zones the sites are situated. The Beaufort Dyke has been the subject in 1995 of a detailed set of assessments, including a visual ROV investigation, aimed at assessing the extent, concentration, state and nature of the dumpsite. Any further ROV assessments will be a matter for decision by the UK authorities in consultation with my Department.
The question of acquiring an ROV is a separate issue which would have to take into account a case based on wreck assessment and seabed investigations for a range of purposes, including accident investigation.
