Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the matter here today. The issue of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation is one on which Ireland can proudly say it has taken the lead in past times. As my colleague, Deputy Ryan, stated, the late Minister, Frank Aiken, in 1958, took the lead on this matter when he proposed a series of resolutions in the UN General Assembly. From these, the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, NPT, was developed.

Since its enactment in 1970, the NPT has become widely adopted by most countries around the world. Its three key pillars have been very beneficial in controlling the development of nuclear weapons and these are based around disarmament, non-proliferation and the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Indeed, the initial success of the treaty is that the original five recognised nuclear states, the United States, Russia, China, the UK and France, have ratified it and this has led to reductions.

Concerns have arisen, however, because of the acquisition of nuclear arms by India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea, countries that have not ratified this treaty or, in the case of the latter, withdrawn from it. Indeed, Iran, which is a signatory to the NPT and has ratified it, has caused great controversy because of its nuclear developments.

The State regards nuclear disarmament as a priority and has been vocal on the matter since those early resolutions in 1958. In 1998, the New Agenda Coalition was founded in Dublin and a diverse group of countries came together for an 18 point declaration, entitled Towards a Nuclear Weapons-Free World: The Need for a New Agenda. Since then, it has been active in promoting the necessary steps towards full nuclear disarmament.

The weakness of the NPT is its lack of binding targets, and there are calls for a nuclear weapons convention. I am supportive of these calls. They seek to ban the manufacture, stockpiling or use of nuclear weapons and would provide specific timeframes for disarmament. It is worth noting that this idea is supported by 146 countries and has the backing of the United Nations General Secretary, Mr. Ban Ki-moon.

I was quite surprised by information sent to me this week by the Irish CND which stated that AIB, in majority State ownership, lent $28 million to an American company involved in the nuclear weapons industry in 2010. This is disappointing. Countries such as Norway and New Zealand prohibit this type of investment, and Ireland should consider doing the same.

Though the NPT allows for stocks of uranium and plutonium to be used for peaceful purposes, I have deep reservations about the use of nuclear fuel for this purpose. The experience of having a near neighbour in the UK that has the Sellafield plant is not a pleasant one. For years I have been campaigning for the closure of this facility and I helped set up some years ago in County Wicklow the campaign to close Sellafield.

The history of this plant has highlighted repeatedly the dangers of its operations. There have been multiple instances where surrounding communities in the UK and in this country have been put in danger. Over the decades since its establishment there have been more than 20 incidents involving radiological release. The latest one, the Thorp plant leak in 2005, involved the leaking of more than 83,000 litres of radioactive material that evaded detection for in excess of nine months. What is more, over this long period of time, Sellafield has continuously discharged low level radioactive waste into the sea. Even though some of the radioactivity has been removed, the precipitate has still polluted the Irish Sea. The UK Government is taking steps to shut down this part of the plant, although, unfortunately, this will take at least six years and they will also be building a new plant in its place. Given the lack of competence in running the one at Sellafield, the idea of a new facility being built does not exactly fill me with confidence.

Disregarding my concerns on this particular matter, the NPT has been useful in past times, though it needs to be strengthened, with binding targets set. The idea of states being allowed to continue to develop weapons is not in anyone's interest and all efforts must be made to prevent it.

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