James Bannon (Fine Gael)

There is a great deal of public disquiet in Ireland, not only about the manner in which the Sellafield facility has reported incidents and accidents in recent times, but also about the weak response by the Government to such incidents. The time has come for all political parties to go to the European Court of Justice because this issue has serious implications for the entire Irish community. We want the Sellafield facility to be closed in the interests of the safety of our people. A catastrophe is waiting to happen if we sit on the sidelines.

The scandalous abuse of safety at Sellafield is a European issue. The Government did not succeed in its bid to close Sellafield when it went to the UN international court, but some progress was made. We need to continue to bring all possible pressure to bear on the UK Government to close Sellafield. The high level waste tanks at Sellafield pose a serious risk to the east coast of Ireland. If the cooling tanks overheat, a large amount of radiation will be released. Sellafield was the main topic of discussion at the Local Authority Members Association's conference in Dundalk last year. Local representatives expressed the views of the people about what is happening at Sellafield.

The US Congress commissioned the United States Academy of Science to compile a major study of nuclear power. The report, which was published last month, highlights the danger of nuclear power and describes the storage of radioactive liquids as a critical security issue in the United States. Traces of radioactivity from Sellafield have been detected in seaweed and shellfish in Norway. We know that discharges have been taking place since the 1970s, just as we know about the appalling nuclear accident of 1957.