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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 9 Feb 1978

Vol. 303 No. 6

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Nuclear Power Station.

15.

asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy if he will undertake a public inquiry into all aspects of the proposed nuclear power station prior to his taking the final decision on this issue.

I have no plans to undertake a public inquiry into any aspects of the proposal to build a nuclear power station. The normal mechanisms relating to applications for planning permission will of course apply.

Is the House to take it that before a decision will be taken by the Government no public inquiry will have been held?

No. What I said was that the normal mechanisms relating to applications for planning permission will of course apply. The Deputy will be aware that there is an outline planning application before Wexford County Council in respect of Carnsore Point. On a decision being made by the council, say in favour of the application, it is to be assumed there will be a number of third party appeals. If the decision is against the ESB, it can be assumed the ESB will appeal. The door will then be open for an oral public hearing.

Surely the Minister is not saying that the only dimension to this is that of planning application. Does he not realise that the main question is whether the State will commit itself to building this thing, if and when it gets planning permission? What I want to know from the Minister is whether he was saying, when he told the House that there are no plans for a public inquiry, that there will not be any such public inquiry before a final decision has been made? We need not discuss the planning application.

As the Deputy is aware, that is the equivalent—a planning appeal means a public oral inquiry.

But that is only on the planning element.

The Deputy is entering into an argument.

All Deputies do.

Not at Question Time. It is disorderly.

I am trying to extract a straight answer. Let us leave the planning application out of it. Does the Minister's reply amount to this, that before the Government take a decision on spending £¼ billion on building a nuclear station there will not be any public inquiry or further debate on the matter?

It would be inappropriate for us to initiate any public inquiry while the mechanism of the Planning Act is going through.

Why would it be inappropriate? The two are not related.

They are clearly related in this context.

The question did not refer to Carnsore Point. It asked if the Minister would undertake a public inquiry into all aspects of the nuclear power station. There are two matters at issue. One is the suitability of any chosen site and the other is the nature of the energy to be provided, and there is no mechanism other than a public inquiry under which the energy pros and cons can be debated. We are simply trying to find out whether the Government, irrespective of the site that ultimately may be chosen, will have a public inquiry into the pros and cons of the creation of a particular type of energy prior to committing the country to expenditure of £¼ billion. That is the simple question to which we are expecting a simple reply.

Deputies have had a reply: that the situation in regard to an inquiry relates to Carnsore Point and that the application before Wexford County Council is in relation to that site. When the council decide on the application, presumably there will be an oral hearing at which the matter will be fully debated.

I have read the question and there is no reference to Carnsore Point or to Wexford. It states specifically:

To ask the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy if he will undertake a public inquiry into all aspects of the proposed nuclear power station prior to his taking the final decision on this issue.

The proposed station will be at Carnsore Point and the ESB have proceeded on that basis.

The Minister is not treating the House seriously.

That is the only proposal the ESB have at the moment. It is tied up under the Planning Act mechanism and it would be clearly inappropriate for the Government to interfere before the decision has been announced by Wexford County Council.

The Minister for the Environment still has powers under the planning legislation. It is perfectly appropriate for a person responsible for energy to answer this question. What is the Minister hiding behind?

This is developing into an argument. I am calling Question No. 17.

Please do not shout me down. I am dissatisfied with the reply I have been given and I wish to raise this matter on the Adjournment.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

Question No. 16 postponed.

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