asked the Minister for Energy when the proposed inquiry into nuclear energy will be held.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Nuclear Energy.
34.
I would refer the Deputy to a reply given on 8 November 1979 to a previous Dáil question (Official Report volume 316-8, columns 1288-1293) which outlined fully the sequence of events which it is envisaged will lead to a review of the nuclear energy project. The inter-departmental committee's report, which is an essential preliminary to the setting up of the public inquiry, will have to await further information on the investigations into the accident at the Harrisburg nuclear plant. While some reports of these investigations have been published certain critical reports are not now expected for some considerable time. It would therefore be unrealistic at this stage to suggest a timetable for the proposed public inquiry.
Could the Minister indicate at this stage whether he proposes to give the Wexford County Council, as the planning authority for the area, any special role in relation to the inquiry?
I have discussed this and other matters with Wexford County Council and I have indicated to them that I regard their role as being different from that of any person or body that might be a party to the inquiry wanting to make submissions and different in so far as the consideration of things like protecting a bird sanctuary in the area is concerned or whether there should be overhead or underground wires. But since the final decision would not be made by the council its role is not its normal one and yet it is different from that of the ordinary person who might be making submissions to the inquiry. I have said that I recognise that and that I thought we ought to endeavour to work out, if we can, machinery which will recognise that special role of the council. Therefore I have instructed my Department to formulate proposals for that purpose which I would hope in due course to discuss with Wexford County Council.
In relation to quarrying, mining, boring, exploration and so on for uranium, is it proposed to include that in this inquiry? If so, should not such operations as would at the moment appear to be dangerous await the outcome of such inquiry?
If I understand the Deputy correctly, the answer to the first part of his supplementary is no. It is not envisaged that the question of exploration or the search for uranium would be the subject of the inquiry which relates to the location of a possible nuclear station at Carnsore.
In regard to the second part of the supplementary, there is no evidence available either to me or to the Nuclear Energy Board who advised me, to support the contention that there is any risk whatever involved in searching for uranium. I am not speaking of mining, which is a different problem.
Since it is not intended to include this aspect in the Minister's inquiry—and perhaps I can see the reasons for subdividing the question—surely this is a matter that should be inquired into. Because it is a much more restricted area of investigation, would the Minister not endeavour to ensure that the fears being expressed by very eminent people in other counties, particularly people from Australia where such activity has taken place already, are allayed? From the evidence of some of the very eminent people qualified to speak in this area it would appear that the type of activity concerned is not harmless. However, as a layman all I can say is that somebody must be telling us lies since one eminent man will say it is harmless while another will say otherwise.
All the evidence and all the advice available to me indicates that there is no danger or risk involved in exploration for uranium. However, the Deputy will be aware that in an effort to reassure people who may be concerned about this and to allay their fears, I have made arrangements with the Nuclear Energy Board to conduct monitoring of water and soil in areas in which there is any exploration in progress and to make the results of that monitoring available to interested parties in Donegal as it comes to hand. The monitoring is undertaken both before and after exploration. As I have indicated already by way of reply to a parliamentary question, the information available so far from that monitoring process confirms the advice I have received that there is no increase in radioactivity as a result of the exploration. However, the tests are continuing and the results are being made available as they come to hand.
I am confused by something the Minister said in regard to Wexford County Council but as I am aware that he is trying to execute a delicate U-turn on the road travelled by his predecessor I do not wish to knock him off his bicycle.
I would add "question" to that, too.
Perhaps the Deputy would execute a U-turn and come up with a question.
Perhaps I could put this in the form of a statement and pretend that there is a question mark at the end. I was under the impression——
Was the Deputy under the impression that the Chair had gone to sleep? Has the Deputy a question?
——that this nuclear inquiry would subsume or absorb the normal planning function of Wexford County Council, that it would have a statutory basis into which the normal planning function of the county council would be absorbed.
That is correct.
In other words, the position will be that the county council will not have any independent role in the inquiry into whether a nuclear station is to be sited at Carnsore, that is, if we are ever to have a nuclear station.
The Deputy is correct in his assumption but what I was trying to convey in my reply to Deputy Horgan was that I recognise that Wexford County Council are in a different position from people who might wish to make submissions for or against the proposal and that what I was endeavouring to do was to work out a procedure or machinery which would be built into the legislation for the inquiry and which would take account of that special position of the council, though not giving them the function of making a judgment.
I am allowing only one more supplementary on this question.
I think it was in answer to a question from myself that the Minister replied last on this question. Is there any good reason for not going ahead with the legislation for this inquiry even in advance of the material in regard to the Harrisburg accident becoming available, though I am aware of the necessity of having this material before any inquiry takes place? If the inquiry is to have a statutory basis would it not be an advantage to have that statutory basis established now and also to have defined the terms of reference of the inquiry and even to name the personnel who will be involved?
Speaking from recollection, I think the Deputy did ask me that question before and that I replied to it. At any rate, I am not of the opinion that there is a case for proceeding with the legislation at this time. There are a number of reasons for that and I shall give one of those reasons. For instance, we were discussing the question of the role of Wexford County Council in the inquiry. That is something that must be worked out and built into the legislation. A number of other matters have to be worked out, too, but it seems to me that the procedure envisaged will involve the publication of the interdepartmental report covering various aspects, including aspects of safety, health, finance and so on and that that report would be available to the public generally so that all parties will be as fully informed as possible when making submissions to the tribunal. That whole process will take some time and I do not see any reason in these circumstances for rushing ahead with legislation.
Question No. 35 postponed.