To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount spent on the White, Young and Green report on the former Irish Steel plant at Haulbowline, Cobh, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 9th June, 2009

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Gormley):

In summer 2008 my Department engaged consultants, White Young Green (WYG), to carry out an independent and rigorous assessment of site conditions on Haulbowline, following works on the area of the site known as the East Tip. Their work was the subject of formal peer review.

The total amount spent was €394,948.61. This comprised all costs associated with environmental testing, analysis, monitoring and reporting in respect of assessing quality of surface water, marine sediment and mussel bivalves in the vicinity; assessment of any health or environmental risks posed by the site conditions and ambient air monitoring.

The report on the assessment of site conditions was made publicly available on my Department's website in December 2008. The WYG assessment found that there was no immediate health or environmental threat posed by the site and did not suggest a risk to the health of people on site undertaking normal activities or to those in the Cork harbour area including the Naval Base.

Recommendations arising out of the WYG and peer review reports have informed proposals which are currently being considered by Government.

Dust deposition and PM10 monitoring, which is carried out at two locations in the vicinity of the site and at a location in Cobh, is still ongoing. The ongoing cost of this monitoring is c.€12,000 per annum.