Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 22 Nov 1995

Vol. 458 No. 6

Written Answers. - Dungeness (Scotland) Reactor.

Eric J. Byrne

Ceist:

22 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications if he has received a report on the shutdown of the Dungeness reactor on 6 September 1995, further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 15 of 12 October 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17380/95]

Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (Mr. Lowry)

As I reported to the Deputy in the Dáil on 12 October 1995, Nuclear Electric's Reactor 2 at Dungeness A station in Kent underwent a controlled shutdown on 6 September, 1995 and a full report had been sought from the UK Authorities on the incident. In its initial investigation into the facts surrounding the event, the independent regulator, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate of the UK's Health and Safety Executive were satisfied with Nuclear Electric's actions following discovery of the problem and in shutting the reactor down.

The shutdown was required to permit checks of a refuelling standpipe following inadvertent stressing of it by the fuelling machine. The standpipes penetrate the top of the reactor pressure vessel to allow the reactor to be refuelled while operating.

More detailed investigations were then undertaken by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. Nuclear Electric were required to produce a safety case to the inspectorate before the reactor could be allowed to re-open. The NII have since completed their investigations and have expressed themselves satisfied with the safety case which Nuclear Electric produced to justify restarting the reactor. Dungeness A is now fully operational.

The Deputy may wish to know that Dungeness A is one of the Magnox nuclear plants about which I have concerns about its age, safety and reliability. In view of this incident and the Court Case concerning the Wylfa Magnox plant in Wales. I have written strong letters to the UK Minister for Energy and the Secretary of State for the Environment outlining in the strongest terms the very deep concerns of the Irish people about the safety of Magnox reactors. I have called on the British Government to phase out all such reactors and to ensure that nuclear operators take the necessary steps to make a repetition of incidents such as Wylfa and Dungeness impossible.