Vol. 431 No. 3
94 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has written to the Polish authorities to express the Government's concerns at the absence of any law to prevent the trafficking in radioactive substances, following the arrest of three smugglers of uranium and other radioactive materials in the city of Rzeszow in April 1993.
While I am not aware of the details of the case referred to by the Deputy, the Government would be concerned at any developments that might lead to proliferation of materials, such as uranium, which might be used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. If the Deputy can provide further details, I will undertake to make additional inquiries.
There is a responsibility on all governments which are parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to be particularly vigilant in ensuring that their territories are not used as conduits for illegal trading in nuclear materials. Poland is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It, like Ireland, is also a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an informal group of like-minded States which co-operates in controlling exports of nuclear materials and technology. The Nuclear Suppliers Group provides a framework in which efforts to combat the evasion of national export controls can be co-ordinated.
