Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

The Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant has long posed a serious threat to the health of the Irish people. There has been a long-running campaign for the closure of this notorious plant, the safety record of which is particularly appalling. There has been a litany of accidents, leaks, inaccurate records, missing material, and many court appearances and convictions. The decision of the British Government to sell off and privatise Sellafield is a cause of major concern and alarm to the Irish people, in particular those living on the east coast. Sellafield must not be sold to private interests. The implications of such a move are far-reaching and terrifying. It is difficult to believe that the British Government would even consider such a move. The running and decommissioning of a nuclear power station cannot be dealt with by private interests that are driven by profit-making motives. The cost-cutting which would undoubtedly result from privatisation would have repercussions for the health and safety of the public in Ireland and Britain.

Public accountability with regard to Sellafield is bad. The plant has a notorious record in terms of accidents and the failure to keep accurate records. We should be prepared for a highly dangerous decline in accountability if this reckless privatisation is permitted to proceed.

I wish to deal with the Government's softening attitude on the use of nuclear power. The inclusion in the Forfás report published yesterday that consideration should be given to the development of nuclear energy in Ireland as a more long-term solution to the energy crisis is deeply worrying. Nuclear power will never be acceptable to the Irish people. The Government must make clear its stance on the issue. There must be no equivocation in respect of this matter. The Minister must reject giving nuclear power any consideration whatsoever. For many years, we have been warning of the dangers of over-dependency on oil. The failure to make the transition from the use of fossil fuels towards renewable energy, including wind, wave, solar power, has been highlighted by environmental groups, by those seeking to develop renewable energy and technologies and by parties including that which I represent.

The Government has consistently dragged its feet. Only now, years after other states, is it granting householders, seeking to install solar panels, geothermal heating systems and wood pellet stoves coming on stream. As a result of the Government's failure, since coming to office in 1997, to act to develop renewable energy and energy saving technologies, we are informed that there is an energy crisis. It reminds me of the problem in accident and emergency units where, after nine years in power, the Government is beginning to realise that there is a crisis.

We will be told that the energy crisis must be treated as a national emergency in order to advance the pro-nuclear agenda. We will be told we must do things that we might not do in different circumstances and that we have no choice but to turn to nuclear power. The ground is already being prepared. The kite is clearly being flown in respect of nuclear power.

The comments contained in the Forfás report came only a short time after the Government refused to join Austria and Germany in opposing nuclear power at the recent European Council. Why was that the case? The Government's support for the European Council's call for a new generation of nuclear power was a highly significant indicator of its changing position in regard to such power. This support is totally inconsistent with the long-standing demand for the closure of Sellafield.

When the Government published the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006, Sinn Féin highlighted its concern that the proposed legislation included any infrastructural developments to be fast-tracked, such as an industrial installation for the production of electricity, steam or hot water with a heat output of 300 MW or more. We asked if a nuclear power station could be fast-tracked under this provision. That question is more pertinent than ever.

The Irish people are overwhelmingly opposed to nuclear power. The potential cost of nuclear power in terms of the destruction of human life and of the environment is a price the Irish people have made clear they are unwilling to pay.

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