Probe into effect of dump called off

A FULL investigation into the risk posed by the Haulbowline dump will not go ahead after chief medical officer Tony Holohan decided there were insufficient public health dangers to warrant it.

Dr Holohan was asked to examine the viability of such a study in response to concerns that residents living around Cork harbour were afflicted by high cancer rates and poor health.

However, after consulting with the National Cancer Registry Ireland and other specialists, he recommended there are no grounds to probe the issue any further.

Health Minister James Reilly accepted Dr Holohan’s position and said the case for looking into the affects of the long-standing contamination was not supported.

Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment reacted with disappointment to the latest in a long series of setbacks arising out of calls to clean up the site.

Spokeswoman Mary O’Leary blamed the lack of money in the Department of Health for the decision.

She said Dr Reilly should commit to funding a health examination of the harbour population.

“We think there should be a baseline health study carried out. We know we are not in immediate danger from this, but there is a long-term health issue,” Ms O’Leary said.

“In the current economic climate it is not surprising they have not gone ahead with [the investigation]. It is just a shame it was not done five years ago when there was more money around,” she added.

Following his visit to Cork on April 29, Dr Reilly asked Dr Holohan to assess the value of re-examining the threat posed by pollution.

But a statement on behalf of the minister last night said Dr Holohan found that “the considered opinion of experts” was that “there are no identified public health grounds that warrant further investigation”.

The statement also referenced an earlier decision to set up a steering group to table an application to the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the site.

This group will be chaired by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.