Vol. 560 No. 3
130 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the matters discussed at the meeting of the British-Irish Council (Environment Sectoral Group) in London on 16 January 2003; the discussions there were in regard to Sellafield; the nature of the papers it was agreed to produce regarding Sellafield; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2398/03]
The meeting on 16 January 2003 of the British-Irish Council (Environment Sectoral Group) discussed the following matters: climate change improvements, waste management, Sellafield and radioactive waste and follow-up to the world summit on sustainable development. In regard to Sellafield, the meeting had before it a revised draft discussion paper on Sellafield and radioactive waste jointly prepared and submitted by Ireland and the Isle of Man. Consideration of this paper by the group was deferred at the request of the UK because of Ireland's current legal actions relating to the Sellafield MOX plant.
The group agreed that Sellafield and radioactive waste would remain on the agenda and be among the main issues for discussion at the next meeting and that the UK would produce two papers, for that meeting, on the vitrification of high level liquid waste stored at Sellafield and on the safety issues relating to the long-term storage of plutonium at Sellafield. Ireland and the Isle of Man undertook to update the joint paper on Sellafield and Radioactive Waste for consideration at the appropriate time in the group.
I consider it extremely important that Sellafield remains on the agenda of the British Irish Council. It provides an opportunity for the British-Irish Governments and the other member administrations to discuss the genuine concerns which Sellafield creates for Ireland and indeed for others in its surrounding area.
