Dr. Ann McGarry:

I thank Deputy Murphy for the questions. She asked about the difference in potential impact between a re-processing plant and a nuclear power plant. The main difference is that a nuclear power plant is a real source of energy. If there is an explosion at a nuclear power plant, there is the potential for radioactivity to be released up high into the environment and to be transported in the weather across to Ireland. A re-processing plant does not have the same energy associated with it. In order to introduce energy to the situation to get the radioactivity over to Ireland, the kind of events considered were a strike by a meteorite etc., a different type of event entirely.

The Deputy also asked about compensation and whether that was factored into the cost of building. I am not entirely certain about that. I will ask my colleagues in a moment. There certainly are international conventions around nuclear liability so it is taken into account. The Deputy also asked how we compare with people living immediately adjacent to the plant, such as people in the UK living close to either Wylfa or Trawsfynydd or whatever. In terms of day-to-day operations, the radiation dose they receive is higher than that which we receive but it would be in the realm of no observable health effects. In the UK it would not be permitted to operate a nuclear plant on a day-to-day basis which had observable health effects on people. The radiation dose will be slightly higher the closer one is to a facility. The dose to Ireland from Sellafield is extremely low but what dose there is comes through eating contaminated fish or shellfish, so the amounts are very small.

I will ask my colleague, Ciara McMahon to talk about the various scenarios that we tested.