Vol. 530 No. 3
36 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Public Enterprise her views on the resumption of German shipments to Sellafield following the previous suspension of such shipments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3690/01]
The House will be aware that in May 1998 the German Government suspended all shipments of spent fuel from Germany to both Sellafield and La Hague in France following the discovery that the outsides of the Castor containers in which the fuel was transported were contaminated. As I understand it, shipments have not resumed since. However, I understand that BNFL has recently been granted a permit by the German authorities for the transportation of spent nuclear fuel from a German nuclear power plant to Sellafield for reprocessing.
I am deeply concerned by this development and I am having inquiries made through diplomatic channels for further information on the matter. I will make a decision on the appropriate action to be undertaken when I receive the results of my inquiries. The Irish Government remains totally opposed to the reprocessing activities at Sellafield and I will continue to press the UK Government for a cessation of such activities at the plant.
I want to express my appreciation of the efforts being made by the Minister, many of which have been successful. I ask him to revitalise those efforts, particularly on the diplomatic front, with our German colleagues in the EU and in the other European countries in particular which supply the fuel to Sellafield. Without the fuel, it simply cannot operate and that is one of the best ways of addressing this issue which is of concern to everybody in the House.
I assure the Deputy that that interaction will continue at a diplomatic level. Less than 12 months ago, on 4 April last year, I met with the German Ambassador and reiterated Ireland's opposition to the Sellafield operations. That opposition will continue in a vigorous manner.
What contact has the Minister of State had with environment Ministers in the five EU states in which the Green Party is in government?
France is the same.
I will name the states. They are France, Italy, Finland, Germany and Belgium. The Minister of State will find a sympathetic ear here but I would like to know the exact contact he has had with them and the sort of representations he has made.
The interaction with countries of like mind on this issue has advanced considerably in recent years – as recently as last summer at the OSPAR meeting in Copenhagen. Prior to that meeting I made personal visits to the Nordic countries to meet with all those Ministers. We also spoke and wrote to all the Ministers around that table and that resulted in 12 Ministers going along with the Irish and Danish proposals on that day and virtually leaving the nuclear powers of France and the UK isolated on that particular issue, so the rapport the Deputy aspires to exists.
