Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

We can only be responsible for the time that we have been in government. I commend the Minister of State for bringing this legislation forward and ensuring that we are signatories to this agreement, which moves it along the road for us. Eventually it will be signed and become an effective treaty, whereby we will have better checks and balances for nuclear energy and waste.
People of Senator Mac Conghail’s vintage and my own have been concerned about this since the protest at Carnsore Point. That was a little bit after Senator Walsh’s time. We were concerned that there might be a nuclear energy plant there. In our youth we protested to ensure that it did not happen. There were whispers that a similar plant might appear in Carlow when the sugar factory closed down but that concept died fairly quickly thanks to the common sense on the part of the people of Carlow and the public representatives in the area. It is important that we play our part in ensuring that everything to do with nuclear energy and waste is policed and is kept in proper order so that we do not endanger this country or others. I look forward to both parts of the Bill passing through the House. There are several amendments tabled for Committee Stage and I expect that the Minister of State will address them fully because some of them are good amendments which need to be debated before the legislation is passed.