Haulbowline report - Findings are welcome

IT IS a considerable relief that the toxic materials dumped at the former Irish Steel plant in Cork Harbour do not pose an immediate risk to people living or working in the area.

That, however, cannot be the end of the affair. The legacy of the mill represents one of this country’s worst environmental disasters and will have to be confronted sooner or later.

Like so many important projects the new reality of our public finances suggest that immediate action is unlikely and that we may have to be satisfied with the assurances contained in yesterday’s report for some time.