Senators will be conscious from previous debates in this House that a multiplicity of operations, from decommissioning and reprocessing to storage of waste and separated fuel, and now the fabrication of MOX fuel are currently conducted at Sellafield. Each of these activities represents a potentially serious threat to Ireland's population, our environment and economy. Senators may also be aware that, until February 2003 when it was announced by BNFL that generation of electricity at the site would then cease, the plant at Sellafield also generated electricity through the four on-site Magnox reactors at the Calder Hall section of the site. While I welcomed this announcement of the planned closure of these reactors, there remains much work to be done. Closing the Magnox reactors will be a lengthy and time consuming process; it involves defuelling and decommissioning, each stage of which requires the consent of the United Kingdom's nuclear regulator, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.