Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

This section is about nuclear carriage rules, which is a serious matter. It lays out the different fines for which offenders under the section are liable. The fines are similar to fines in other parts of the Bill, which on summary conviction, represent a fine not exceeding €5,000, or a fine not exceeding €100,000 on conviction on indictment. If we find out that somebody is in breach of the regulations in our jurisdiction in respect of the transfer of nuclear material, then that is extremely serious. Is there a case for stronger fines here than in other parts of the Bill? Might there also be a case for imprisonment for the offences in this section? If there was a nuclear waste incident on one of our ships, we would not be happy to find that the greatest deterrent to deal with the person responsible was a fine.