Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 October 2014
132. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views regarding plans by the British Government to build a new nuclear power plant 240 km off the Irish coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39496/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra133. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views regarding nuclear terrorism in view of plans by the British Government to build a new nuclear power plant 240 km off the Irish coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39497/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra134. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views regarding the disposal of nuclear waste in view of plans by the British Government to build a new nuclear power plant 240 km off the Irish coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39498/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra135. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he expressed concerns to the British Government regarding plans by the British to build a new nuclear power plant 240 km off the Irish coast; if so, the details of these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39499/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra158. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views regarding plans by the British Government to build a new nuclear power plant 240 km off the Irish coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39494/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra159,. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views regarding plans by the British Government to build a new nuclear power plant 240 km off the Irish coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 132 to 135, inclusive, 158 and 159 together.
While Ireland does not have a nuclear power industry, it is our position that, where a State chooses to develop a nuclear power industry, this should be done in accordance with the highest international standards with respect to safety and environmental protection. Ireland’s priority is the safety of the Irish people and the protection of our environment, including the shared marine environment of the Irish Sea.
As the Department with policy responsibility for nuclear related matters, my Department monitors the UK nuclear sector on an on-going basis and convenes regular meetings with UK counterparts to discuss general policy issues and raise matters of interest or concern, where appropriate. I should point out that Ireland is a recognised stakeholder in all UK nuclear consultations. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Radiological Protection (formerly the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland), which operates under the aegis of my Department, carries out an environmental radioactivity monitoring programme throughout Ireland and has regularly monitored levels of radioactivity in the Irish environment since 1982.
In November 2012, my Department published a summary of a commissioned report prepared by an independent team of international experts which assessed the probable risks to Ireland from incidents at the Sellafield nuclear site. The experts quantified the likelihood of an incident occurring at Sellafield resulting in the release of radioactive material and found that such an incident would give rise to “no observable health effects in Ireland”.
Ireland has been involved in the consultation process on the new build nuclear programme in the UK, which was announced in a 2009 draft Energy National Policy Statement by the UK authorities, and we have written twice at Ministerial level to the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, outlining concerns about potential environmental impacts in Ireland and in the Irish Sea from the new build programme. The key issues of concern include the assessments by the UK of effects on the environment, management of radioactive waste, and the rationale underpinning the proposed justification decision for new nuclear facilities. This engagement at Ministerial level has been supported and informed by continued and regular dialogue at official level, where Irish officials engage, and raise concerns where appropriate, with their UK counterparts directly engaged in the development and implementation of these plans.
Following notification in early 2012 of the proposed development at Hinkley Point, my Department requested the RPII to complete an assessment of the potential radiological impacts on Ireland from the programme of new nuclear power plants in the UK, including the plant at Hinkley Point. This assessment considered both routine operations and a range of postulated accident scenarios at the plants. The report concluded that the routine operation of the proposed nuclear power plants will have no measurable radiological impact on Ireland or the Irish marine environment. However, regardless of the radiological impact, any accident at the proposed nuclear power plants leading to an increase of radioactivity levels in Ireland would have a socio-economic impact on Ireland. The report is available on the EPA website at http://www.epa.ie/newsandevents/news/previous/prrelrpii/2013/name,53039,en.html.
Under the EURATOM Treaty, the UK is required to satisfy the European Commission that the development at Hinkley Point would not be likely to result in radioactive contamination of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State. In that context, a Commission opinion, issued in February 2012, considered that under normal operating conditions, the discharges of liquid and gaseous radioactive effluents are not likely to cause an exposure of the population in another Member State that is significant from the point of view of health.
Regarding nuclear safety and security, I should also point out that Ireland works with other States through our membership of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) where these issues are regularly discussed and where access to up-to-date information in relation to nuclear issues is available. Engagement with the IAEA also enables the development of our policy in these areas to benefit from the experiences of other States.
