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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Nov 2003

Vol. 575 No. 4

Written Answers. - Official Engagements.

Jack Wall

Ceist:

90 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the outcome of his recent meeting with the British Minister, Stephen Timms, regarding the structural ability of a waste storage facility at the Sellafield nuclear plant and Ireland's wider concerns regarding the Sellafield facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28461/03]

I will meet my British ministerial counterparts, including the UK Minister for Energy, e-Commerce and Postal Services, Mr. Stephen Timms, MP, on 1 December 2003 in London, inter alia, to discuss the concerns of the Government about the Sellafield plant.

In reply to Question No. 27 of 16 October 2003, I indicated that I had written to Minister Timms in July and August 2003. I sought a report from him on the storage facility in question, and he informed me that the UK Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate is content that it is currently safe to continue using the building where the radioactive waste stream known as medium active concentrate, MAC, is stored. However, Minister Timms also informed me that the inspectorate has concerns about the acceptability of using the building for the storage of significant quantities of MAC beyond 2006. This information raises significant questions and I will pursue this matter with Minister Timms at next week's meeting.

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