Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I thank the Senator. Nobody died there and they were able to close down the reactor. However, the accident at Chernobyl rightly scared everybody. The challenges facing us with regard to CO2 emissions and the Kyoto Protocol are such that as a cost factor we must consider some alternative. Senator O'Toole will speak about some of the other areas of energy such as tidal, wave, wind and solar energy. I agree we must concentrate on those energy sources and I look forward to hearing other views on this issue. However, we must include all of those options without excluding the nuclear option as it has the capacity to solve the problems in the years ahead. It will not happen overnight and if we are to invest such a large sum of money into creating nuclear energy in Ireland we need to do something about it now.

I note that interconnectors will provide energy from other places, in particular from Britain and we will be able to avail of nuclear power coming from somewhere else but that is an Irish solution to an Irish problem. It is a case of not having it ourselves but using somebody else's nuclear power.

In France nuclear energy is solving financial problems and also an energy problem which France faced up to a long time ago. I am impressed that in France, one's energy bill shows the source of the energy. I would like to see if this could be done in Ireland.

My reason for tabling this motion is because both Senator O'Toole and I believe there is a challenge facing the country and we must face up to that challenge. I have concentrated in my contribution on one particular aspect and I look forward to hearing other contributions to the debate which I hope will provide solutions for the future.