Vol. 500 No. 6
12 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the action, if any, taken by her following the decision by the German Government to abandon its plan to halt nuclear waste exports to Sellafield by January 2000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4564/99]
I refer the Deputy to my response to Question No. 37 on 10 December 1998 and Question No. 106 on 17 February 1999.
The House will be aware that the German Government announced in November last year that the nuclear share of Germany's energy supply would be gradually reduced and finally replaced and that this would be achieved by consensus talks with the nuclear industry and without any cost in claims for compensation arising.
The ending of the use of nuclear power in Germany continues to be reviewed. Discussions on the matter took place in January with the French and British Governments and representatives of the German nuclear industry. The German Government have to take account of a number of issues, particularly in relation to the financial implications of terminating existing spent fuel reprocessing contracts with operators in Britain and France.
At the end of January, the German Government decided to delay the introduction of draft legislation to amend German nuclear law to phase out nuclear power.
The Department of Foreign Affairs continues to monitor the situation and to report developments to me. It is not my intention, at this time, to arrange a meeting with the German authorities to discuss the matter. The Taoiseach has said that he hopes to raise the matter with Chancellor Schroder at a suitable opportunity.
