I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 45 on 23 October last.
On my instructions, the Irish Ambassador to Belarus has been in contact with the Belarussian authorities regarding the media reports of possible military exercises in the region close to where the Chernobyl accident occurred and to express our serious concern at the potential ecological dangers in any such activities. The Belarussian authorities indicated that no decisions had been taken regarding such exercises although the idea had been mooted. As I indicated in my earlier reply, if it is decided to proceed with such activities, this would be a matter of serious concern to Ireland and other countries in Europe. The Belarussian Ambassador to Ireland, who was in Dublin yesterday, was informed of my concern. We are also in contact with EU partners on the issue.
With regard to EU assistance for the areas affected by the Chernobyl accident, the European Union has been to the forefront of the international effort to address the consequences of the disaster which occurred there ten years ago. The disaster at Chernobyl had consequences far beyond the immediate contamination of the surrounding region and seriously affected the local population. Today, as for many years to come, the site will need continual attention to ensure safe shutdown of the nuclear power plant, treatment and disposal of nuclear waste as well as clearing of the site. However, the immediate priority is to ensure that the remaining plants at Chernobyl are closed down and that the damaged reactor is entombed permanently.
In 1992 the European Commission initiated an agreement with Russia, the Ukraine and Belarus to carry out a number of collaboration projects which aim to contribute to a better understanding of the effects of large scale radioactive pollution of the environment and quantifying the impact on the health of the public concerned.
Under the TACIS programme of technical assistance for the countries of the former Soviet Union, the EU has been active in promoting a comprehensive programme of financial, technical and practical support to aid the rehabilitation and decontamination of the areas most affected by the Chernobyl disaster. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland was involved in a project which is funded under TACIS entitled Food Quality and Technical Support for Chernobyl Affected Areas in the Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. European Community Humanitarian Aid has also been sent to Belarus and Ukraine.
In 1994 the EU's concerns about nuclear safety in the Ukraine led it to propose, in co-operation with its partners in the G7, an action plan to be agreed with Ukraine for (i) the definitive closure of Chernobyl as soon as possible; (ii) the reform of Ukraine's energy sector including the development of alternative energy sources; (iii) the upgrading of construction and operating standards in its nuclear sub-sector; and (iv) ratification by Ukraine of the Vienna Convention on nuclear liability. The plan involves financial effort from the international financial institutions, with the EU for its part willing to raise 500 MECU in EURATOM loans and TACIS grants.
On 20 December 1995 the "Memorandum of Understanding on the closure of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plants was signed by the G7 and Ukraine. The MoU is a political agreement which commits the G7 and Ukraine to work jointly towards the closure of Chernobyl by the year 2000. Much of the MoU focuses on replacing Chernobyl as a source of power and generally improving the provision and use of energy in the Ukraine. The MoU covers four main areas of future work: restructuring of the power sector; an energy investment programme which is principally concerned with replacing Chernobyl as a power source; decommissioning of Chernobyl's reactors 1 and 2; and the social costs not only of the disaster itself, but also of the closure of Chernobyl. The MoU includes a list of projects to be prepared and implemented over the coming years.
There has been progress. At the meeting in Moscow on nuclear safety, on 20 April this year, President Kuchma of Ukraine confirmed that the Chernobyl plant would be shut down completely by the year 2000. I have referred above to the provision of the EU action plan which sought ratification by Ukraine of the Vienna Convention on nuclear liability. I am pleased to advise that Ukraine lodged the instruments of ratification to the Convention on 19 September this year. At the follow-up meeting to the Memorandum of Understanding, held in Paris on 11 October, it was generally acknowledged that the implementation of the MoU is well under way and that all parties feel committed to its full success.
The Union is also aware of the serious situation arising from the contamination of land as a result of the accident. While the emphasis in the Union's efforts is being placed on the immediate need to ensure closure of Chernobyl, the making safe of the destroyed reactor, and the accompanying measures to ensure safety in the nuclear sector in Ukraine, the Union has also made a financial allocation to help deal with the problem of waste treatment in the 30 km zone around Chernobyl. In addition the Union initiated, in 1993, the Chernobyl Remedial Programme to assist the local population in recovering from the effects of the accident. The programme, which is supported under the TACIS programme of technical assistance for the countries of the former Soviet Union, provides for assistance in relation to drugs, iodised salt, abstraction of ground water, local economic recovery efforts and the housing of Chernobyl evacuees.