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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 22 May 1996

Vol. 465 No. 7

Written Answers. - Nuclear Power.

Seamus Brennan

Question:

130 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications whether the liberalisation of the energy supply market will allow suppliers of nuclear-generated electricity to serve the Irish market; if so, whether such a facility will compromise the Irish argument against Sellafield; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10532/96]

It is Government policy that nuclear power should not be used for the production of electricity in Ireland.

It is likely that a common position on the draft Electricity Directive will be reached at an Energy Council in June, before the end of the Italian Presidency. Under the draft Directive, Ireland will retain the right to determine the fuel used in any generating station which is established in Ireland. This empowers the Government to refuse approval for the use of nuclear fuel in any Irish power station. It remains firm Government policy that the ESB may not purchase nuclear generated electricity.

Under the provisions for third party access to networks, large customers will be entitled, if the necessary interconnection capacity exists, to contract directly with generators abroad for electricity. However, access to nuclear generated electricity is not possible at present as Ireland is not connected to Scotland, England or Wales. There are plans, however, for an interconnector between Northern Ireland and Scotland which, at least in theory, would open the option for large Irish consumers to make contracts with nuclear generators in the UK or mainland Europe. We will continue to seek to ensure that the Directive allows us to refuse access to our market for nuclear generated electricity.
In view of the clear Government policy and very strong Irish public opinion against nuclear power it seems extremely unlikely that any large company would contract directly with nuclear power stations. Even if they did, there would be no question of importing radioactive material.
The Government remains firmly committed to an anti-nuclear policy and the theoretical ability of large electricity consumers to contract abroad for electricity has no bearing on Ireland's arguments against Sellafield, which are concerned with the danger to Ireland posed by the possibility of an accident at the plant and environmental concerns regarding emissions from the plant into the Irish Sea.
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