Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

——just in case people think I do not, stated:

In practice there are a lot of considerations to be weighed into that decision. The first point is to restate it is not a decision for us to make; it is a decision for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority as the owner of the station. It is not simply a question of taking a decision about the station in isolation. Wylfa is the last of a series of magnox power stations. All of the fuel for those stations has been manufactured at the Springfield site in Preston. They are just in the process now of making the last fuel for Wylfa. They just recently cast the last billet of uranium which is to go into making the final fuel for Wylfa to dispose of by 2010.

Probably the more significant consideration relates to the fate of the fuel once it comes out of the reactor. The consideration there is that there is only one facility for reprocessing that fuel. That is the magnox reprocessing facility at Sellafield. Under the terms of our commitment to the OSPAR agreement we have to end marine discharges from the Sellafield site by 2020 so the closure date for that reprocessing facility is set in 2012.

It is not simply a question of looking at could we run the reactor for another five years as a decision to be made in isolation. How we would manage the future fate of the fuel post-2010 and whether there is any potential at all for extending the life of the reprocessing facility whilst still meeting our OSPAR obligations for 2020 is a major challenge. Our understanding is that the NDA do not consider it realistic to extend the life of Wylfa beyond 2010.

This is important in the context of the national debate that has begun on this issue. I welcome this debate and it is important to have it. There is no case to be made for Ireland to take over or lease the plant to which I refer, as was recommended this morning on the national airwaves. Moreover, other issues have arisen in respect of the plant. For example, some years ago an issue arose regarding its reactor core and I understand that it was closed for some time in order for the situation to be assessed.

Members should nail this issue here and now. Whatever arguments are made — everyone is entitled to make them — Members must carry out research and rebut such arguments in favour of the facts. This plant must close because the reprocessing of the fuel cannot continue beyond the year 2012.

There is, however, an important debate in which all must engage. Government policy has failed, particularly in respect of energy supply and the use of alternative energy. The Government has not been sufficiently aggressive in its examination of or response to our energy problem. I refer, in particular, to the development of alternative energy resources such as biofuels. While I do not know what fuel the Minister's State car uses, perhaps it is time for him to convert to a model such as a Prius. He could also start taking the train or even consider walking.

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