asked the Minister for Energy the outcome of his inquiries regarding the allegation that safety precautions have been ignored and facts covered up by the management of British Nuclear Fuels Limited; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - British Nuclear Fuels.
22.
The UK Nuclear Installations Inspectorate are carrying out an investigation into these allegations and will be preparing a report. I have stressed the urgency of clarifying the position and have asked to be informed of their findings.
In the light of this allegation, has the Minister taken any action under the obligations of the EURATOM Treaty to find out whether due safety is being observed by the British in the operation of their plants?
At this stage we have a bilateral arrangement of notification with the British of incidents that take place. The inspectorate are examining this accusation and the Nuclear Energy Board have been in touch with the inspectorate on my behalf. We are awaiting their report and on the outcome of that report further action, if necessary, will be considered.
Is it the Minister's intention to take legal action against the British for their repeated breaches of adequate safety standards? Is this not a perfect opportunity for the Minister to go to EURATOM under the provisions of that treaty and assert the responsibility of Britain in this case?
As the Deputy is aware, we are already involved in a case——
In Luxembourg.
——and we are awaiting a decision under Article 37 of the EURATOM Treaty, which is due some time between July and August.
In Luxembourg.
Yes. On the question of examining the type of action to be taken, the Attorney General is advising us on that matter.
When he was on this side of the House, the Minister was most vocal about this aspect of Irish life. Surely he is not going to rest on his laurels and tell the House that he will not take legal action against the British for this further outbreak in Sellafield? It is unbelievable. Will he consider taking immediate legal action?
The Deputy must not have been listening. As I have already said, the question of legal action, advice on the type of legal action and the particular range of the action is a matter which is being considered by the Attorney General, who is the law officer of the Government and is advising the Government in relation to the type of action to be taken. As far as this specific case is concerned, it is being examined. When we get the report to the NEB, the question of specific legal action in relation to the specific case——
It will be the British report. If the Minister were on this side of the House he would not accept that answer.
Order, please, Deputy. Deputy Pat O'Malley, without interruption, please.
The Minister said that the Attorney General is considering the various options available to him. I understood the Minister to have said in this House four or five months ago that the Attorney General had completed his review, but we still appear to be in a position where we have not initiated any legal action ourselves. Further, the Minister keeps saying we have already taken legal action by virtue of the fact that we are involved in this Cattenom case. To what extent are we involved and how have we become involved? As I understand it, all we have done is submit our views to the court. The court need not take any notice of that. The major issue, Sellafield plant which has been in production for the past 30 years spewing radioactive waste material into the Irish Sea, is not being addressed from a legal point of view. The Cattenom plant has yet to come on stream.
This is the third time that we are having statements, rather than questions.
It is an unrelated matter.
The Deputy has a further question down for priority in relation to action under international agreements, the Paris Commission, for example, in relation to action that we are taking in the Sellafield case. As far as the Cattenom case is concerned, we have been out and have had a distinguished senior counsel represent us in the particular case, who has made the views of the Irish people known in relation to the activities of authorities. We have been heard. Our people were there in April.
Are we a party to that?
We are very much implicated in it.
Passive witnesses.
I must come to deal with questions nominated for priority. I call No. 48 in the name of Deputy Richard Bruton.