asked the Minister for Transport and Power if, in the event of reasonable supplies of oil or gas being discovered in or near this country, it is considered advisable in the long term to concentrate on the development of fusion reactors rather than on the preparation of fission programmes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Oil or Gas Discoveries.
123.
It is unlikely that fusion reactors will be available on a commercial basis for a very long time if ever. So far as this country is concerned the only practical alternative to fossil fuel as a source of energy for many years to come, is fission energy. The availability locally of gas or oil would appear to have no relevance to any possible future choice between fission or fusion reactors.
Is the Minister in a position to say what the cost of one of these reactors might be?
The fusion or the fission?
The fusion.
I would not know. It would be a guess. It would be a considerable amount of money.
Would the use of natural gas not be less costly than nuclear fission?
That has nothing to do with fission or fusion. Both fission and fusion are atomic. The others are fossil.