Maurice Hayes (Independent)

I support the broad thrust of the motion but the terms are somewhat self-satisfied and buaileam sciath; what wonderful people we are as we do not have a nuclear industry and we can tell everyone else how to run theirs. I have lived all my life 90 miles downwind from Sellafield for 90 days a year. Of the other 270 days, the wind blows in the opposite direction. Creating hysteria does not help with this issue, as this is not the biggest threat to the health or well-being of the Irish people.

Senator O'Toole raised the issue of the Minister commissioning research on the matter. I recall 25 years ago commissioning research from Dr. Sidney Lowry in Belfast. At the time there was concern about the high incidence of leukemia among young adults along the east Down littoral and the nearest place to Sellafield. The research concluded that there was no observable connection. There was more irradiation from the average granite gatepost than there was from Sellafield. We also examined the incidence of Down's syndrome in Northern Ireland and discovered there was a higher rate in Norway which is as far away as one can get from Sellafield. There is no proven connection in that way. It does not help to create these bogeymen.

What there has been in Sellafield is abominably bad management which at times has been criminal. The cover-up and falsification must be addressed. There is going to be a continuing management task there. I agree with much of what Senator Brian Hayes said. As the site is providing much employment, it will not be closed down. Even if it were closed down, it will not go away. Dealing with this site will be a problem for centuries ahead. The best the Minister can do is ensure that management is transparent, responsible and under control.

It is also important that the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland should have a base on the site. I agree with Senator Brian Hayes that it would be a great improvement if it had a permanent or semi-permanent presence there with access to the information it needs. The best way forward is through British-Irish governmental linkages.

International agencies and regulatory bodies, such as EURATOM, must also be used to ensure activity at the site is minimised, the transport of noxious materials is limited to the greatest possible extent and material that needs to be stored is done so to the highest degree of safety. More progress would be made that way than us calling other people names. It is an important task and I commend the Government for the progress already made. We must ensure the Irish authorities competent in this field have a permanent presence and access to the site, that there are published reports, transparency in the workings of the site and that local management is held accountable.