Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 January 2024
142. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a full update on discussions that have taken place with UK counterparts on the recent leaks at the magnox swarf storage silo in Sellafield; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3143/24]
View answerThe leak at the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) facility at Sellafield was formally reported to the UK Environment Agency in November 2019.
Since then, this matter has been reported on by the UK’s Environment Agency (EA) at the bi-annual meetings of the UK-Ireland Contact Group on Radiological Matters, and at its most recent meeting on the 29-30 November 2023, which was hosted by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) at their headquarters in County Wexford.
This group comprises senior officials and representatives from my Department, the EPA, the UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the UK’s National Decommissioning Authority (NDA), the UK’s Nuclear Waste Services (NWA), the UK’s Environment Agency (EA), the Isle of Man Government Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, and Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
Through engagement with these UK counterparts and the relevant regulators, my Department and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) are being kept abreast of all developments at the site and satisfied with the level of co-operation being provided by the UK Authorities with regard to the facilities on the site.
At a technical level, the EPA also engages with the UK nuclear regulators, the ONR and the EA, and maintains regular contact with them in the case of technical matters or other developments of interest at nuclear sites in the UK. Having consulted with the EPA, my Department does not consider that the articles by the UK Guardian have uncovered any significant matters, which would cause concern for Ireland. In addition, Minister of State, Ossian Smyth was briefed by senior UK officials in early December 2023 where it was noted that the UK regulator’s independent assessment was that the leak at the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) does not pose a risk to the environment.
