Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

When the last MOX fuel shipment travelled around the world, maps were published in all the newspapers of the world outlining where it was going. We are dealing with MOX fuel, a specially refined fuel, which was not available ten years ago. I put it to the Minister that the ship in which the Minister allowed it to be carried, the Atlantic Osprey, is totally unsuitable for the purposes for which it is used. It has a single hull, only one engine, no naval armaments on board and is totally unsuitable. It is a 20 year old ship that in March 2002 had a fire in its engine, after British Nuclear Fuels Limited purchased it. It is inappropriate that the Minister does not protest about it, but remains silent, because it is a matter of grave and serious concern. It is not good enough for the Minister to hide behind ten years of silence.

MOX fuel is new fuel. This is only the second time it has been used and the Minister has not done anything about it, which shows his lack of action and concern. His silence on the shipment of such dangerous material in a totally unsuitable ship is unacceptable from a Minister. The ship is 20 years old — it was 15 years old before British Nuclear Fuels Limited bought it — and it is not suitable. When the Minister and the other Ministers protested, the Irish Air Corps flew and the other craft was on the water, the ship complained about was much more secure. It was double-hulled, had a naval escort and used the best available technology. The Minister is allowing ships which are unfit to carry this material up and down our coast and, quite honestly, he could not care less about it.

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