Eoin Ryan
Question:2 Mr. E. Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment the number of meetings to date of the Ministerial Group on Sellafield and the Irish Sea. [12437/96]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ministerial Group on Sellafield and the Irish Sea.
Seamus Brennan
Question:40 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for the Environment the number of meetings of the Ministerial Group on Sellafield and the Irish Sea that have been held since he became chairman of that body. [12363/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 40 together.
The Ministerial Group on Sellafield and the Irish Sea was established by the Government to co-ordinate and monitor measures in pursuit of commitments in the policy agreement, A Government of Renewal, which are the responsibility of a number of different Departments. The group is chaired by the Minister for the Environment and has representatives at Minister of State level from the Departments of Transport, Energy and Communications, Foreign Affairs, the Marine and the Taoiseach.
Senior officials from these Departments and the Department of the Environment attend the meetings, as do senior representatives of the Attorney General's office, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland and the Department of Health.
The ministerial group has met on three occasions under the chairmanship of the Minister for the Environment and will continue to meet, as necessary, to monitor work which is being actively pursued by the Departments concerned on matters coming within the supervisory role of the group. These matters include the safety of the British nuclear industry generally and of Sellafield, the THORP reprocessing plant and magnox reactors in particular. The Government is concerned about the safety record of these installations and the continuing threat they pose to the health and safety of Irish people and our environment. Magnox reactors are operating beyond their design life and the Government has called on the UK authorities to arrange for their early de-commissioning; opposition to the proposed development of a rock characterisation facility at Sellafield, preliminary to the construction by NIREX of an underground nuclear waste storage facility.
Last January the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications made a submission on behalf of the Government to the public inquiry in the UK which is investigating the proposed facility. The submission outlined the Government's concerns and called on the inquiry to recommend against the NIREX proposal; a further assessment of the possibilities for legal action against the Sellafield-THORP facilities. This is being conducted by the Attorney General in co-operation with the other Departments concerned. Consideration is being given to the scope for action under the Paris Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from land-based sources and the more recent OSPAR Convention which Ireland will ratify this year.
The Government remains committed to legal action against Sellafield if a sustainable case for it can be shown to exist based on sufficient evidence of environmental or public health impact; the possibility of a review and update of the Euratom Treaty to place greater emphasis on health, safety and environmental aspects. The Departments of Transport, Energy and Communications and Foreign Affairs, in consultation with the other Departments represented on the ministerial group, are currently preparing proposals for appropriate amendments to the Treaty; an initiative taken by the Minister of State at the Department of the Marine, within the International Maritime Organisation, seeking to strengthen the code of practice governing the carriage by sea of irradiated nuclear fuels. An Irish resolution seeking to have matters covered by the present code extended so as to cater for route planning, advance notification of shipments to coastal states, contingency arrangements in the event of emergencies and other appropriate considerations was accepted by the IMO and is being addressed by that organisation's marine safety and marine environmental protection committees.
I welcome the changes made by the Department of the Marine. Considering the emphasis on the Irish Sea and Sellafield in the programme for Government, is the Minister happy that the committee has met on only three occasions in the last 18 months? She said that the group is monitoring work. I would like to know what work is involved. There is a lot of padding in the Minister's reply. What is the legal opinion which has been sought for the last 18 months? There seems to be no real action and the matter does not seem to be a priority for the Government.
I disagree with the Deputy. The amount of work outlined is considerable. I can expand on the work carried out by the various Departments if the Deputy wishes. There has been great co-operation and co-ordination in terms of the various aspects in the Government programme for renewal and the work is being monitored by the committee. The Deputy does not appreciate that the function of the committee is to ensure co-ordination of work carried out at departmental level. The programme of work is agreed and is being carried out. Achievements have been made, one of which was referred to by the Deputy relating to the Minister of State at the Department of the Marine, who made a major change in policy at the International Marine Organisation conference.
There are other areas in which work is proceeding — for example, the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications has contacted the UK Minister to outline the deep concerns of the Government about the inadequacy of safety measures. The Minister of State at that Department presented a well thought-out submission on the proposal for the underground facility. The fact that the committee ensures that each Department works within its own area of responsibility and acts effectively in terms of co-ordination is an indication that it is working. More has been done in the past 18 months than in the past 18 years.
I completely disagree with the Minister's last statement. She did not answer my question relating to legal opinion. I welcome the fact that a submission was put forward and change was made by the Minister of State, Deputy Gilmore, but very little work is being done. The Minister said that a Minister contacted his counterpart in England, but there is very little emphasis and follow through on this matter. As an Opposition party we objected through one of our MEPs before the Minister contacted the UK Minister. Local authorities along the east coast also object at various levels. When the Government was formed there was great emphasis by various Ministers on what they would do, but very little has been done. When will the legal opinion be available?
With due respect to the Opposition, a co-ordinated interdepartmental approach is being adopted by the Government to this issue, which is of significant importance, and that has proved to be effective. Nobody under-estimates the difficulties involved. I welcome the Deputy's acknowledgement of the work done by the Minister of State at the Department of the Marine and other Ministers. The legal advice will be available when it is ready. Much assessment is being carried out. The options under consideration include possible recourse to arbitration under the existing Paris Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from land-based sources and there is scope for action under the most recent OSPAR convention, which Ireland will ratify later this year.