Vol. 408 No. 4
92 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Energy if he will outline the action he has taken since his appointment in 1989, to express public and professional concern over Sellafield to the British Government and British Nuclear Fuels; whether he has requested that the plant be closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Since I became Minister for Energy I have met with the UK Secretary of State for Energy and raised with him our serious concerns about nuclear power in general and Sellafield in particular. I have also through the British Ambassador conveyed our views and concerns about Sellafield. On both occasions I called for the closure of the plant.
The UK Government were represented at the Energy Council meeting during the Irish Presidency in 1990 where I ensured that the council were fully informed of Ireland's views on nuclear safety and related issues. At that meeting Ireland expressed its continued opposition to reprocessing at the Sellafield plant and requested that discharges into the environment should cease through closure of the plant.
I shall continue to take every opportunity to press for the closure of Sellafield.
The initiatives cited were undertaken directly by me. Over the same period I have also ensured that every opportunity was taken by other Ministers, by officials of my Department and officials of other Departments at our request to raise our strongest objections on this matter at EC and other appropriate meetings.
