asked the Minister for Energy the motions he has tabled or intends to table for the meeting in Cardiff from 1 June to 3 June 1987 of the Paris Commission on the discharge of nuclear waste at sea; whether he has made contact, with other countries with a view to obtaining the necessary support; and the outcome he expects from the meeting.
Written Answers. - Nuclear Waste.
75.
Ireland has submitted two separate recommendations for consideration at the June 1987 meeting of the Paris Commission dealing with the prevention of marine pollution from land based sources. The effect of the recommendations is as follows:
(a) The Contracting Parties, while respecting the system of dose limitation recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection, declare their firm intention to use the best available technology in order to minimise and eliminate as soon as possible radioactive discharges from all nuclear industries, including reprocessing plants, into the marine environment.
(b) The Contracting Parties recommend that the BNFL nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield should be closed and that waste already on site should be stored and managed in a safe condition in order to prevent the occurrence of any incident which would result in serious pollution of the Irish Sea and any other maritime areas within the scope of the Paris Convention.
Arrangements are currently in hand to convey to Contracting Parties to the Convention the concerns of the Irish Government which are the basis of the recommendations submitted by Ireland. The Deputy will appreciate that I am not in a position to predict the outcome of the meeting. I will make a statement when the outcome is known.