Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Jan 1992

Vol. 415 No. 1

Written Answers. - Sellafield Operations.

Tomás MacGiolla

Ceist:

40 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Energy if he has made any representations to his British counterpart regarding reported plans by British Nuclear Fuels to emit large quantities of radioactive krypton gas from its Sellafield plant; if, in view of this decision, the Govenment intend to reconsider the possibility of initiating international legal action; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Energy (Mr. Molloy)

All the operations carried out by British Nuclear Fuels at Sellafield are a cause of concern to the Government and I have expressed this view in recent correspondence with my United Kingdom counterpart.

In respect of the emission of krypton 85 gas from the Sellafield reprocessing plant, such emissions have been taking place since operations began at Sellafield in the early 1950s. Releases of this gas will increase when the new reprocessing complex known as THORP comes into operation this year. However, I am advised by the Nuclear Energy Board that doses likely to be received by the Irish public from Sellafield's operations will continue to be of negligible proportions. The annual average dose will still work out at less than 1 per cent of the annual dose received by members of the Irish public from naturally occurring sources of radiation. However, any increase over natural radiation levels is undesirable and I will continue to oppose operations at Sellafield at every opportunity.

The increase in krypton gas emissions resulting from the THORP operation will not introduce a new dimension to the question of legal action over Sellafield. The Deputy will be aware that I have gone into that matter in some detail in my replies to earlier questions on this particular issue.