Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)

I express deepest sympathy on behalf of myself and Sinn Féin to the people of Japan. It was an event that evoked a genuine outpouring of grief in this country and across the globe. It was dreadful, and we are only beginning to realise now the full extent of the disaster with the numbers of people missing and killed exceeding first estimates. It may be some time before we realise the actual numbers involved, and longer before the communities affected begin to return to normality.

The tragedy caused by the earthquake and the tsunami was exacerbated by the scare over the impact the earthquake had on nuclear power stations in the region. For a while it appeared the environmental disaster might have been exacerbated to a horrific level by an accident at one of the power stations. Thankfully, the initial fears have not been realised, although dangers remain.

While it is not the time or the place to make lengthy political arguments on the back of these awful events, the danger posed by a possible leakage of high levels of radiation from the reactors must be mentioned. It is hoped that danger is not as serious as was first feared but we have already heard reports of radiation contamination of food and the threat that poses to the Japanese people. Some food products have been withdrawn. We are not yet aware of the full impact that leaking radiation may have had on the food supply and on people's well-being. That again highlights the dangers associated with nuclear power. We are fortunate here in that when the building of a nuclear power station at Carnsore Point was given serious consideration in the late 1970s, the popular opposition to it forced the then Government to change its mind. It is clear now that the Irish people made the right choice.

I am conscious that there are always concerns regarding the Sellafield plant in Britain. Now would be the time for the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, or the relevant colleagues in Cabinet, to re-engage with the British Government about the long-standing concerns of the Irish people in that regard, and in particular to get an update on the review of its emergency plan. That would be an importance occasion to re-engage with them.

Energy supply is a serious issue and one that will arise more frequently in the coming years. That is all the more reason we must examine alternative forms of energy supply globally that will both guarantee that energy needs are met but also provide a safer option to nuclear power. However, this is not the time to dwell too much on that aspect of the terrible events in Japan. Such a debate can wait another day.

One of the positive aspects of the crisis, if there can be any in such circumstances, was the evidence of the manner in which the Japanese people, and the international community, responded to the effects of the earthquake. There was a genuine outpouring of grief that transcended cultures and that manifested itself in practical aid in terms of ensuring that the after effects of the tsunami and the dreadful damage it wreaked were immediately addressed. It demonstrates that there is a positive aspect to international solidarity that transcends the more brutal manner in which it is sometimes manifested in military actions involving the major powers.

In the context of that international solidarity and aid, it is important to refer to the new Ceann Comhairle, Deputy Seán Barrett, who, in his time as Fine Gael's spokesperson for foreign affairs, raised the concept of a citizens' corps that would be ready to be deployed to provide international assistance in the event of a disaster such as that which took place in Japan. He referred to the possibility of people who are unemployed taking part in such a corps. There is a fantastic culture here of people wanting to assist in these circumstances, as we know from all the Irish organisations that assist people overseas. It is an excellent idea. In the aftermath of the disaster, and as we reflect on what happened and offer our sympathy, that might also be the time to pursue that idea.

Such a corps could comprise volunteers who are specialists in various fields who would be ready and prepared to travel immediately to disaster zones to participate in aid missions. There would be scope for medical personnel, civil engineers, members of the fire service and so on who could participate in such a group. As we saw from Japan, the early deployment of experienced search and rescue personnel from overseas played a crucial part in the aftermath of the tsunami and undoubtedly contributed to the saving of many lives that might otherwise have been lost.

I am not certain what branch of Government would be responsible for establishing such a citizen corps. It might be something the Department of Foreign Affairs might examine and set in train the process of establishing such an initiative. It would constitute a real and practical contribution on the part of the people of this country to helping in the event of any future disasters should they occur anywhere on the planet.

While international aid was important, I would also like to pay tribute to the manner in which the Japanese people responded to the disaster. It is a very different culture to our own, although human beings of whatever nationality or culture share the basic common attributes. It is heartening to know that in the midst of such a calamity, the vast majority of people respond in a humane way, even in circumstances where much of the basic structures of civilised society have temporarily broken down.

There is a bleak view of humanity as expressed, for example, in the film "The Road", which was set in the aftermath of a huge disaster, possibly nuclear. That human society is portrayed as being unable to survive such a shock, and people revert to a barbaric state. The response to the Japanese disaster may offer hope that human beings are perhaps better than that, and that society is able to respond to and survive in such circumstances.

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