Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 2

Written Answers. - Nuclear Plants.

Seán Ryan

Question:

59 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if her attention has been drawn to the ongoing decommissioning of the original Sellafield site which was subsequently suspended due to fears of a meltdown; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4388/02]

Minister of State at the Department of Public Enterprise (Mr. Jacob)

I am aware that British Nuclear Fuels is involved in decommissioning redundant nuclear facilities in certain parts of the Sellafield site. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII, which has been monitoring the situation through its contacts with the UK Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, NII, has recently received an update from the NII on the decommissioning situation. The position, as advised to me by the RPII, is that in June 2000 decommissioning works were suspended at the Windscale reactor pile number one, the site of the 1957 Windscale fire. Progress was halted because of doubts over the safety of the strategy that had been proposed for handling the next stage of decommissioning.

Decommissioning will continue to be suspended until a revised and more secure strategy has been developed. The particular work that has been delayed relates to the removal of materials from the site that, if not handled correctly, can spontaneously ignite. It is possible that delays could continue for a further year or more. These difficulties, even though they relate to a decommissioning process, are a further indication of the hazards associated with the entire nuclear industry and a further vindication of the legal actions that Ireland is taking against the Sellafield MOX plant and of which this House is well aware.