Environment Minister John Gormley has refused to meet with concerned members of Cobh Town and Cork County Council after National Cancer Registry figures showed the East Cork town has experienced a 44% higher cancer rate then the national average in recent years.

It is the second environmental blow for East Cork in just one week after it was revealed last Thursday, June 26, that close to 500,000 tonnes of toxic waste was discovered at the former Irish Steel/Ispat site near Haulbowline.

The cancer study has added substantially to the debate on the proximity of Cobh town's to the Irish Steel plant in Haulbowlin, though there is no proven causal link between the two. According to Green Party Senator Dan Boyle, Cobh (Urban) would get south westerly winds which could potentially blow over and across from the plant.

The National Cancer Registry figures, recorded between 1994 and 2005, coupled with the Haulbowline waste find, which contains some of the worlds deadliest carcinogens, has led to calls for a comprehensive baseline health study of the Harbour region

Despite the Environment Minster's adamant declaration that he would bring the proposal to Cabinet, the Green Party Leader was still branded a disgrace for his failure to meet Cobh residents concerned over these latest findings.

Labour Party County Councillor for Cobh John Mulvihill said, "Unfortunately, Minister Gormley has not seen fit to meet with members of Cobh Town Council and Cork County Council at this point. The Mr Gormley met with some local campaigners yesterday (Tuesday, July 1), which is certainly very welcome. However, local public representatives too have a right to be heard and to be briefed on this most serious issue, and I'm calling on the Minister, on behalf of the people of Cobh and surrounding areas, to meet with their local representatives, not some time later this year, but in the coming days.

Senator Dan Boyle, Chairman of the Green Party also backed the call for a health survey of residents, saying, "It's something that has to get responded to. There are other factors, even environmentally. The IFI plant was located near the Cobh area as well. The chemical industry in Cork Harbour, the fact that there are more sites which are hazardous industries in Cork than in any other part of the country and prevailing winds would tend to go out towards Cobh, these are all factors that need to be taken into account".

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