Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a recent report by the British Nuclear Decommissioning Authority into the Mox Production Plant at Sellafield; and the steps that he will take on foot of this report. [9238/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I assume the question refers to documents recently published by the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on its Plutonium Topic Strategy, in particular the NDA Plutonium Strategy — Credible Options Technical Analysis (January 2009), which states as its purpose "to outline the credible options for a future management strategy for the UK civil stockpile of separated plutonium".

Ireland has long been concerned about the risk to this country posed by the large and complex nuclear reprocessing site at Sellafield. The policies and actions of the Government continue to reflect the firm position that Sellafield's continued operation poses risks of real and legitimate concern to Ireland and that it should be decommissioned and closed in a safe and orderly manner. Since coming into office I have articulated this position at all appropriate opportunities.

For some years now, the UK and Ireland have developed a process for regular high level exchanges on the matter of Sellafield and its related facilities. These exchanges have embedded the 'package' of measures for enhanced co-operation and information exchanges announced by my predecessor in December 2004.

The background to that announcement was that, in 2001, in response to the then imminent commissioning of the MOX fuel manufacturing plant at the Sellafield site, Ireland instituted legal proceedings against the UK under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Pending the hearing of the case, Ireland applied for and received a Provisional Measures Order from the Arbitral Tribunal, which ordered a review by Ireland and the UK of the mechanisms for inter-governmental notification and co-operation. Arising from this, a series of co-operative measures was developed, agreed and put in place.

These measures are valuable from Ireland's viewpoint, are working well, and represent considerable and real added value to the necessarily co-operative relationship between Ireland and the UK on these matters. The Bi-Lateral Agreement on Early Notification of a Nuclear Incident; direct access to the UK Radiation Monitoring System (RIMNET); access for the Garda Síochána to Sellafield; access for the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) to Sellafield and other facilities; significantly improved information exchanges; co-operation on emergency planning with the UK; and improved and ongoing contacts at regulator and official level on nuclear issues, all provide objective evidence of real improvements.

In this context of improved communication with the UK authorities on matters relating to Sellafield, my Department regularly participates in relevant policy development consultations conducted by the UK authorities. In October 2008 my Department participated in a consultation on Plutonium Options by the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and expressed the Government's concern over the risks posed by the operation of the Sellafield plant and by the transport of nuclear materials by sea. This consultation was part of the process leading to the recent publication by the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority of a Plutonium Strategy — Credible Options Technical Analysis. My Department will continue to use all appropriate opportunities to communicate Ireland's concerns in these matters to the UK authorities.

I emphasise also that the Government is continuing and will continue to pursue all political, diplomatic and, where necessary and appropriate, legal options to secure the safe and orderly decommissioning of the Sellafield facility. It is my view that the ongoing discussions between the two administrations in relation to Sellafield have resulted in increased recognition by the UK Government of the depth and seriousness of Ireland's concerns about Sellafield and of the priority that is rightly accorded to the issue by the Irish Government.