Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

I express my sympathy to those who lost family members in Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake and to the Japanese people and Government in general. I have family living in Japan; my cousin, Shane Cahill, works in the embassy in Tokyo and my brother and his family live in Japan. Thankfully all are safe and well, although I still have concerns. My brother and his family live in Nagoya, which is quite far from the area of Japan that was affected by the earthquake and from the Fukushima plant but extended family live in Utsunomiya in the Tokyo area so I am concerned about the nuclear plant in Fukushima.

I welcome the work the Department of Foreign Affairs has done on the issue, and the assistance that has been provided to Irish citizens, along with the work that has been done by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland to inform people of the risks that arise in Ireland from radioactive leaks in Japan.

The debate on nuclear energy has arisen again following the incident in Japan. There can be a knee-jerk reaction with some people saying this disaster puts an end to the argument. We cannot say that because there are many nuclear plants around the world, with many situated near Ireland, and we cannot just close them down. There are also issues about energy provision in future. We must engage with this debate in a proper and informed way.

The Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Naoto Kan, has stated that he will provide the European Union with as much information as possible regarding the difficulties at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Apparently he had discussions with the President of the European Council on yesterday. It is important that information relating to events at Fukushima, the steps being taken there and the dangers of that have arisen be freely available. Such information must be verifiable and trustworthy. I have been watching broadcasts by the NHK television channel in Japan and it is clear there appears to be a certain amount of distrust among people there with regard to their Government and the information it is providing. It is essential that good, transparent information which people can trust should be provided. In that context, all efforts must be made by the Japanese Government, the international community and entities such as the European Commission.

It is important that the necessary steps be taken to minimise the dangers which might arise as a result of the leaking of any radioactive materials. The international community must carry out a full investigation of this matter and that investigation must be lead by the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA. We must ask whether the difficulties that have arisen at the Fukushima nuclear plant could have been avoided if better procedures had been in place. We must also ask whether we can learn lessons from the problems that have arisen following the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami.

The IAEA issued a statement in the aftermath of a meeting held by its board of governors earlier in the week. The statement, which was issued by the chairman of the board, refers to information that was exchanged with the authorities in Japan. It says:

It was emphasized during the Board meeting that the international community had a shared responsibility to ensure that the general public were provided accurate and reliable information of such emergencies to alleviate their concerns and that they must be kept aware of how the respective national authorities were responding to those emergencies.

This is a matter of some importance to Ireland and people here must be kept really well informed because this matter could affect us in the future. It is vital, therefore, that we should engage with the process that is envisaged. The statement of the IAEA also indicates:

The Board welcomed the Agency's close cooperation, since the beginning of the crisis, with other international organizations and partners, such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, the World Meteorological Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization through the IAEA-FAO Joint Division. The Board emphasized also the need for the enhancement of such cooperation.

The need for Member States' continuous commitment to the application of the highest standards of nuclear safety, and to draw conclusions and learn from the Fukushima nuclear accident was also highlighted.

It is extremely important that we should learn from what has happened.

Nuclear energy exists across the globe. We do not have it in Ireland but countries nearby produce it. Ireland is part of the international community and must do its part to learn from this incident. Any improvements necessary to improve safety at nuclear plants throughout the world must be made in order to ensure that the type of problems which arose on this occasion do not recur. In that context, Ireland must, as much as any other country, engage with that process. Just because we do not utilise nuclear energy in this country does not mean we do not have a responsibility to participate in the process that will arise on foot of this matter.

An article in yesterday's Irish Examiner referred to a number of nuclear plants in California which are located close to fault-lines or in areas which could be affected by tsunamis. It is important, therefore, that in the context of what might happen in the future we should consider what is happening and that we should try not to repeat some of the mistakes which may have been made on this occasion. We must consider the steps that can be taken to ensure that any new nuclear plants to be constructed in Europe be located in safer areas. I welcome the proposal that Sellafield be included in the stress tests the European Union is planning to carry out.

There is a need to consider the use of alternative energy sources. We must also consider whether there are other options relating to nuclear energy which might prove safe in the future. Research in this area must continue. We cannot just state that we have reached the end of the argument with regard to nuclear power. We must engage fully in the discussion in respect of this matter because nuclear power is in use throughout the world. We must ensure that such power is produced in as safe a manner as possible. In addition, we must ensure that the other options which are available are the subject of close examination.

See this speech in context