Vol. 543 No. 1
111 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise her views on arrangements with the British authorities for early warnings to be conveyed to the Government in the event of an attack on Sellafield by terrorists; and the emergency response plans here. [25695/01]
There are international and EU notification procedures in place in the event of a nuclear accident. The International Atomic Energy Agency Convention on early notification of a nuclear accident and the European Community decision on the rapid exchange of information in the event of a nuclear accident provide for early warning of an accident and for the exchange of information. Both involve the rapid transmission of data to a designated national contact point which in Ireland is the Garda Communications Control Centre.
These procedures are designed to provide essential information as quickly as possible. Once notification is received by the Garda communications centre, the latter contact the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland who then make the first decision as to whether the accident is of a scale that requires the activation of the national emergency plan for nuclear accidents.
There are also bilateral arrangements between Ireland and the UK for some years now whereby they notify us of accidents or incidents particularly those which involve off-site release of radioactive materials.
As to the emergency response plans in Ireland, I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 85 on 17 October 2001 when I outlined details of the Government's national emergency plan for nuclear accidents.
It is my intention to publish the up-dated version of the plan towards the end of the year. I also intend to circulate to every household a summary of the plan. In the meantime, recognising that there is a public need for information on countermeasures in the event of an accident, my Department will be placing an advertisement in the national and provincial press giving essential advice on these countermeasures which is simple, practical and effective.
