Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Mar 1995

Vol. 451 No. 3

Written Answers. - EU Nuclear Reprocessing Industry.

Ivor Callely

Question:

80 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the EU member states that have a nuclear reprocessing industry; if he will give a breakdown of the member states that are proposing an expansion of their nuclear reprocessing and the effect, if any, it may have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6608/95]

Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (Mr. Lowry)

Reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel is carried out in the United Kingdom (Sellafield) and France (Cap la Hague). As the Deputy is aware the British Government decided on 15 December 1993 to grant authorisation to British Nuclear Fuels to allow the THORP plant at Sellafield to operate. THORP started operations in March 1994 after an unsuccessful High Court challenge and has been gradually increasing operations to reach full capacity over a two year period. I am not aware of any plans in the UK or France to further expand their nuclear reprocessing facilities or plans in other EU member states to carry out nuclear fuel reprocessing.

Following the decision of the British authorities to proceed with THORP, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland extended its monitoring programme to take account of the plant. The results of such monitoring will be scrutinised by the RPH on an ongoing basis and I can reassure the Deputy that the results will be communicated to the Irish public in realistic terms. I have asked the RPH to forward the most recently available results of this monitoring to the Deputy.