Eoin Ryan
Ceist:86 Mr. E. Ryan asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications whether the Government's concern in regard to Sellafield have been raised with the British Prime Minister; and if so, when. [19014/96]
Written Answers. - THORP Plant.
Eoin Ryan
Ceist:87 Mr. E. Ryan asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the steps, if any, he plans to raise the issue of Sellafield at EU level. [19015/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 87 together.
I refer the Deputy to my answer to Question No. 403 of 2 July 1996 which has clearly set out this Government's position in relation to Sellafield.
The safety of the British nuclear industry generally and of Sellafield, the THORP reprocessing plant and the Magnox reactors, in particular, and the continuing threat they pose to the health and safety of Irish people and our environment remain a cause for concern. As Minister of State with responsibility for nuclear safety, I have availed of all opportunities to raise these concerns bilaterally and at a wider international level.
The Taoiseach and I have in the recent past written to the UK authorities and expressed the Government's and the Irish public's concerns about the age, safety and reliability of such Magnox reactors, especially those at Sellafield, Wylfa and Dungeness and, indeed, the level of safety in the UK's nuclear industry generally. In this respect, I would refer the Deputy to my answer to Question No. 139 of 23 April 1966 where copies of my correspondence were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas in the interest of openness and transparency.
Officials within my Department recently requested the Europen Commission to carry out inspections and verifications of the facilities of Magnox reactors in the UK under Article 35 of the Euratom Treaty so as to ensure that they are in compliance with EU standards.
In July of this year, Ireland ratified the Nuclear Safety Convention which enters into force today. Every effort is being made by all member states of the EU and the International Atomic Energy Agency to ratify the convention as soon as possible.
Formal, high level diplomatic approaches have been made to EU and other countries involved in spent fuel reprocessing argreements with the THROP facility, which set out the concerns of the Irish Government in this area. Irish concerns were sympathetically received but no commitments were given to intervene with companies dealing with BNFL.
These actions are clear evidence of this Government's commitment to pursuing all realistic and effective courses of action to convey to the British authorities the concerns of the Irish people about the British nuclear industry.