asked the Minister for Energy the steps he has taken since 1 January 1989 to advance the concept of a Community based inspectorate which would oversee the management operation and decommissioning of all nuclear powered installations within the EC; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EC Nuclear Powered Installations.
12.
My Department avail themselves of every appropriate opportunity to keep this concept to the fore-front in the EC and elsewhere. The new Commission only took up office at the beginning of the year and I am meeting the relevant commissioners shortly to advance the case.
The Minister may be aware that I asked the Taoiseach in the House last week if Ireland had begun to draw up its own programme for the Presidency in 1990, now less than eight months away. Can the Minister assure the House that in his capacity as President of the Council of Energy Ministers, he will make this measure his number one priority, that is the setting up of a Commission inspectorate?Can he give such an assurance to the House now?
I will give that assurance to the House.
Can the Minister tell us what the attitude of the British Government is to the setting up of an independent EC inspectorate?
The same as their attitude to economic monetary union and the same as——
I am asking the Minister.I do not know whether the Minister has made any progress in that area since assuming office. Perhaps he could advise us——
He is good but he is not brilliant.
He will tell us anyway. In relation to the treatment of nuclear waste and the inspection of facilities, in the UK in particular, can the Minister explain why the Government have not sought up to now the issuing of a directive under Articles 37 and 38 of the EURATOM Treaty? Now that the Minister has assumed office would he consider seeking the issuing of a directive by the Commission under those articles of the EURATOM Treaty as this would give us a very major say in the way nuclear waste is treated in the UK plants concerned?
The Deputy is expanding the scope of this question.
Unfortunately, I am not aware of any change of attitude in this regard in British Government circles. They are totally opposed to the setting up of an international inspection force. In relation to the second part of the Deputy's question, I will be meeting tomorrow with the relevant Commissioners in Brussels to discuss this and other matters. I am somewhat disappointed that at Commission level, in the context of what is possible under Article 37 and in a minor range of ancillary areas, it seems to be less than determined on this issue.
Would we not have to initiate the action? We would have to require such action to be taken.
I would have no problem with our initiating such action but on the part of the Commission there should be a clear determination to become more directly involved in an area which can throw up a problem which transcends the boundaries of all the nations of Europe.
Would the Minister not agree that in accepting the proposals that the Community set up an inspectorate he would have come full circle? When his party were in Opposition they did not find this proposal adequate but now that he is on the other side of the House and Minister for Energy he believes that it is adequate. Is this the reason he has not proceeded with the court case against the British on the escape of waste at Sellafield?
I thought we had dealt with that question.
I would not place any limits on what I might do from time to time. We are dealing with one consideration. If there are other such incidents we will examine them in due course.
Question No 13, please.
The Minister has mellowed in power.
I have any limitations.
In fairness, he was not in the House when the other nonsense was going on.
I regret that very much.
So do we.