Written answers

Thursday, 2 June 2005

Department of Foreign Affairs

Chernobyl Shelter Fund

5:00 pm

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the procedures which are in place, or that he proposes, in order to account for Irish contributions to the Chernobyl shelter fund; the way in which the amount contributed by Ireland is spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18507/05]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Chernobyl shelter fund was established as a multi-lateral funding mechanism to assist Ukraine in transforming an existing unsafe and hastily built shelter around the nuclear reactor destroyed in the accident at Chernobyl in 1986 into a safe and environmentally stable system.

The fund is administered and managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EBRD, under the terms of the rules of the fund approved by the board of directors of the EBRD in 1997. The fund's objective is to finance, through specific grants, the provision of works and services necessary to transform the existing shelter. This comprises the provision of technical assistance, public information, consultancy, civil works and engineering services and the acquisition and installation of equipment.

Ireland has made a significant bilateral contribution to the fund against a background of strong and continuing public support for the victims of the Chernobyl disaster and awareness and concern about the dangers of nuclear energy. At the initial pledging conference for the fund in 1997 Ireland committed a contribution of US$2.9 million over three years. A second contribution of US$2.9 million covering a further three year period was committed at a further pledging conference held in 2000. At a pledging conference held in London last month, we made a further commitment to continue funding in the amount of €2.565 million over the period 2004-06. A total of US$935 million has been pledged to the fund to date by the international community, including a significant contribution by the European Union. Ireland's contribution to the Chernobyl shelter fund appears as a charge on the Department of Foreign Affairs Vote.

Twice yearly assembly of contributors meetings are held at the EBRD to review progress on the project and to approve the relevant financial reports. These are attended at official level by Ireland and the other contributors. The most recent meeting was held on 12 May at which, inter alia, the annual financial report for the fund for 2004 was approved. Ireland is represented on the board of governors of the EBRD by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, and on the board of directors by Mr. Desmond O'Malley.

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