Vol. 405 No. 8
10 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Energy the steps he intends to take to advance the proposal he made at the fourth review conference on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on an international inspection force to verify that nuclear power programmes are operated to the highest possible safety standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I and other members of the Government have used and will continue to use every opportunity to press for the establishment of an independent nuclear inspectorate. At the recent conference on the review of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in August 1990 my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, reiterated our concerns about nuclear safety and our wish to see an independent inspection force to verify safety standards.
During the Irish Presidency the issue of nuclear safety was given priority. I was successful in instigating discussions on nuclear energy and environment issues — the first time the Energy Council committed themselves to such discussions. I am hopeful that progress on safety issues will arise from these discussions and the decision of the council to pursue these matters.
As a result of repeated representations for a Community inspection force the EC Commission decided to resume inspections of radioactivity monitoring facilities for nuclear installations. Although this does not satisfy our demand for an inspection force to monitor the operation of nuclear installations, it is an important step forward in that it involves the Community in a limited inspection role.
Officials of my Department have met EC Commission representatives to discuss the Commission proposals in this regard. My Department expressed Ireland's support and willingness to assist the Commission in every way possible and indicated concern that adequate staff and other resources should be devoted by the Commission to a vigorous programme of inspection. I have personally written to the Commissioner responsible to confirm this view.
I apologise to the Minister for crediting him with the initiative which his colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, had taken.
I was not present.
The purpose of my question is to elicit whether the Minister for Energy is pursuing the initiative taken by the Minister for Foreign Affairs which I — and I am sure the House — consider to be very important, to negotiate with other Governments or Ministers who think as we do in this regard to create further pressure to have the inspectorate established. Will the Minister agree that nuclear reprocessing stations are even more in need of inspection than nuclear power stations? Can I be assured that the Minister is pursuing this in the international arena?
I assure the Deputy, and the House, that I have been pursuing this issue at every forum available to me since I was appointed Minister. Some Deputies, in response to parliamentary questions, received a letter from me indicating the various opportunities of which I had availed to raise this matter and it is quite an extensive list. I will continue to bring this matter to the notice of the other member states in particular and, as a member of the Energy Council, I have been able to do so. It has been difficult to get some of the member countries to accept the Irish argument because they see it as an attack on their own integrity and standards. However, in time we will win this argument although it has taken a lot of effort and, I am afraid, it will take a lot more before we see positive results.
Will the Minister confirm that it is one of the EC sectoral energy objectives that nuclear power will be increased as an element of the sources of power in the Community? In that context, the question of an inspectorate is even more important. Will he clarify, in the context of the limited progress made, whether it is still a question of voluntary agreement regarding inspection? Is that option still there for each country? Must they agree to the inspection which, obviously, has been a problem for us in relation to Sellafield?
I do not understand the Deputy's question in relation to voluntary inspections. We are seeking an EC inspectorate which would have the right to enter these plants, carry out a full inspection and make the results known to all member states. The Community has, of course, many member countries which utilise nuclear energy and they see a role for nuclear power in their energy policy. We are different but our difference is recognised. Our concerns have not been fully recognised but the other member states are beginning to take a more sympathetic approach to the concern which people in Ireland as a whole are expressing. Indeed, other countries are also voicing concerns because there is opposition to nuclear energy stations within the nuclear power countries.
Deputy Allen rose.
I was hoping to come to the Deputy's own question.
Will the Minister agree that it is inconsistent for us to be insisting on other countries putting their house in order when we do not even have a policy regarding nuclear energy and its use?
Questions were answered in that regard. I am calling Question No. 11.
