Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Dec 2000

Vol. 527 No. 3

Written Answers. - Nuclear Plants.

Jan O'Sullivan

Ceist:

124 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the position with regard to her efforts to influence the British Government to cut back operations and eventually close the BNFL plant at Sellafield; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28571/00]

Minister of State at the Department of Public Enterprise (Mr. Jacob)

The Government is totally committed to its campaign to bring about the closure of the Sellafield plant.

I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Dáil Question No. 57 on 16 May 2000. In that reply, I referred to the reports published last February by the UK Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, NII, concerning the control and supervision of operations at Sellafield and the falsification of safety related data relating to MOX fuel pellets produced at the Sellafield MOX demonstration facility, and to my follow-up meeting with the UK Energy Minister.

Both my Department and the RPII have since been maintaining contact with their UK counterparts regarding BNFL's progress in implementing the numerous safety-related recommendations contained in those reports. The MOX Demonstration Facility at Sellafield, which closed in September last year, following the revelations about the falsification of the MOX fuel pellets, remains closed.

My reply to the Dáil Question No. 57 on 16 May also referred to initiatives in relation to nuclear reprocessing activities at Sellafield which Ireland would be taking at the June 2000 meeting of the OSPAR Commission. At that June meeting of the OSPAR Commission, Ireland was one of 12 contracting parties to the OSPAR Convention which joined forces to adopt a decision which clearly signalled the extent of international concern about nuclear reprocessing activities at Sellafield. Both Ireland and Denmark had tabled a proposal at that meeting calling for the ending of nuclear reprocessing at Sellafield. This proposal was seen by Ireland and Denmark as an important and crucial element in the implemen tation of the 1998 OSPAR strategy on radioactive substances which commits the OSPAR contracting parties, including the UK, to the virtual elimination of radioactive discharges by the year 2020. The resulting decision adopted by the contracting parties effectively called on the UK and France to review as a matter of priority the implementation of the non-reprocessing option for spent nuclear fuel management. While both the UK and France abstained from voting on the decision, neither country was in any doubt about the pressure from neighbouring countries to end nuclear reprocessing.

Also in relation to radioactive discharges from Sellafield, my Department sent a detailed submission on 27 September 2000 to the UK Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in response to that Department's consultation document – UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges 2001-2020. The UK consultation document was formulated with a view to showing how the UK will implement the OSPAR Strategy on Radioactive Substances. In its response to the UK consultation document, my Department pointed out that the UK targets for reduction in discharges are not consistent with the "close to zero" concentrations in the marine environment which the UK, in the OSPAR strategy, committed itself to achieving by the year 2020 and that, furthermore, the UK strategy needed to be revised in the light of the June 2000 OSPAR decision. Ireland will continue to apply the maximum pressure within OSPAR and on the UK to ensure that the objectives of the OSPAR strategy are implemented in full.

I should also point out that the Irish Government's total opposition to the proposed establishment by BNFL of a MOX fuel fabrication plant at Sellafield continues to be made known to the UK. The NII report of last February about the falsification of safety related data relating to MOX fuel pellets undoubtedly raises serious questions about the safety and viability of this plant. The Irish Government will continue to oppose any start up of this plant.

I would like to assure the Deputy of the Government's total commitment to its campaign against the continued operation of Sellafield. The Sellafield plant represents an unacceptable risk to Ireland and the cessation of all activities there remains a priority for the Government.