Written Answers. - Nuclear Emergency Plans.
Máirín Quill
Question:
13
Miss Quill
asked the
Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications
the contingency plans, if any, there are for a nuclear emergency involving the THORP reprocessing plant or any of its supply ships in the Irish Sea in view of the fact that there has already been a serious accident in THORP.
[12537/95]
Noel Dempsey
Question:
16
Mr. Dempsey
asked the
Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications
the investigation, if any, he has undertaken of the impact on Ireland of a serious incident in a United Kingdom nuclear plant to the extent that such an incident would impact on his Department's responsibilities.
[13555/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 16 together.
I presume Deputy Quill is referring to the incident at Wylfa power station which was the subject of a recent court case in the UK. I am not aware of a serious incident having occurred at THORP.
It is not possible to determine in advance the impact that a serious accident in a UK nuclear plant would have on Ireland. Much would depend on the location of the plant, the nature and scale of the accident, the degree of radioactive discharge into the environment and the prevailing weather conditions. In the event of an accident occurring that would have radiological implications for Ireland, my Department has responsibility under the national emergency plan for nuclear accidents for co-ordinating the various Government Departments and agencies which would be involved in providing advice and implementing countermeasures.
The national emergency plan for nuclear accidents was published by my Department in October 1992, and copies were made available to all Members of the Oireachtas at the time and to the Oireachtas Library. Copies are available free from my Department and from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII).
The plan is designed to provide a rapid and effective response to accidents involving the release or potential release of radioactive substances into the environment which could give rise to radiation exposure. The main elements of the plan are:
—notification of nuclear accident and national alerting mechanism;
—emergency response co-ordination committee;
—accident response phases;
—public information.
First information of the occurrence of an accident at a nuclear installation overseas would be obtained by the Garda communications control centre through the international notification procedures established after the Cher-nobyl accident. These provide for early warning of an accident and for exchange of information. The 24-hour national radiation monitoring system would also detect releases of radioactivity in the atmosphere. A further source of information about an accident in the UK is the bilateral arrangements between Ireland and the UK under which the UK authorities notify my Department of incidents involving a release of radioactivity into the environment. In the case of a possible accident involving a ship containing nuclear material, under the national emergency plan the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has a liaison agreement involving cooperation and advice arrangements with the Irish Marine Emergency Service of the Department of the Marine (IMES). These arrangements are effected as soon as the IMES receive notification of the marine incident from the UK's coastguard agency through the normal channels.
Under the plan, measures are in place to assess and mitigate the effects of nuclear accidents which occur in the UK or elsewhere and which might pose a radiological hazard to Ireland. The booklet describing the plan shows how accident management will operate, how technical information and monitoring data will be collected, how information to the public will be provided and what countermeasures may be taken for the protection of the public in the short and long term.
As Minister responsible for nuclear safety matters, I have overall responsibility for the emergency plan and for ensuring the co-ordination of the responsibilities and functions of the relevant authorities.
In the event of an emergency, this co-ordination would be effected by means of the emergency response co-ordination committee which is chaired by a senior official of my Department who reports to me. The committee comprises representatives of the relevant Government Departments and agencies, the Garda, Defence Forces, Meteorological Service and nuclear and medical experts. The principal functions of the committee are:
—to consider the technical assessment from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) of the consequences of the accident and its advice on what countermeasures should be taken to minimise the radiation exposure of the public;
—to provide advice to the Minister and to the Government on the implications and practical problems associated with the recommendations of the RPII concerning any countermeasure;
—to co-ordinate the implementation of countermeasures by the relevant Government Departments and other national authorities; and
—to co-ordinate the provision of information to the public.
The RPII has a special responsibility for radioactivity monitoring and for the provision of advice on the potential consequences of any accident and on measures to be taken for the protection of the public. Other Government Departments and statutory organisations have responsibilities for establishing appropriate procedures to implement measures within their particular fields of competence, including integration, where appropriate, with existing services established to deal with other civil emergencies.
A test of the plan took place in October 1992 involving the main Departments and agencies. The plan was further tested in May 1993 as part of an international emergency exercise arranged by the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD. I am making arrangements for a further test of the plan to be held at the earliest opportunity.
