Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

It is heart-rending to watch what is happening in Japan. I had the good fortune to visit the country twice. I went there for the World Cup in 2002 and I liked the country so much I returned a couple of years later. The Japanese are the most incredible people on the planet. I have been reading about the 200 guys who are working in the plant at present to try to save everybody in the surrounding area. They run the risk of losing their lives. It is unbelievable, but that is the type of people they are. They are among the most civilized people on the planet. It was like living on a different planet when I was there. They are amazing people.

It appears that the nuclear problem could have been a great deal worse. It is frightening to consider that the nuclear energy of the Japanese, who prepare for everything probably better than any other people, is not safe. I am old enough to have been at Carnsore Point. It is huge relief we do not have a plant here. There was an earthquake in L'Aquila in Italy two years ago and most of the houses there collapsed because they were not built as well as houses in Japan. However, Italy has many nuclear power stations and it is frightening to consider if the earthquake that occurred in L'Aquila had happened near one of those plants, it could have caused unbelievable devastation.

The Government should play an active role in highlighting that no matter how safe we seek to make nuclear energy, it poses a massive risk to the people of Europe. There is no such thing as safe nuclear power. That has been brought home to us clearly by events in Japan.

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