Mark Dearey (Green Party)

I call on the Leader to arrange a debate on nuclear power. "The Frontline" on RTE on Monday night did an assessment of the best options for Ireland in terms of its energy future. It was very interesting and rigorous. However, I detected an underlying subtext that it was time for Ireland to grow up and go nuclear. I challenge the notion that the maturity of a nation can be judged on whether it has nuclear power stations.

Only 31 countries have nuclear power and there are approximately 430 nuclear power stations around the world. Some 57% of all nuclear power is produced by only three countries, namely, France, Japan and the United States. The last one is the main producer of nuclear power. It is not the case that we need to join the rest of the world. Only a small minority of countries have nuclear power.

Is nuclear power strategically clever for Ireland? That is a question on which we all need to focus because this debate will gather momentum in the months and years ahead. We need to think of it in terms of our positions in our constituencies. Would any Member be willing to host a nuclear power station in his or her constituency or area? If one supports nuclear power, one must be able to say that one would not mind a nuclear power station in his or her area because it cannot be foisted on anybody else. Would anyone be willing to host the deep repository required to store nuclear fuel for thousands of years after its lifecycle is over? Would anyone be willing to establish a nuclear installations inspectorate and five or six other quangos, given that we are trying to get rid of many of them, because nuclear power requires much regulation and administration and a vast array of agencies to ensure some modicum of safety in terms its operation?