Written answers

Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Nuclear Plants

9:00 pm

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, further to Parliamentary Question No. 160 of 29 June 2011, the steps he has taken to ensure the UK authorities are made aware of his concerns about likely effects on Ireland of British plans to build additional nuclear facilities, including with respect to the long-term management of radioactive waste and the potential cumulative impacts of having multiple nuclear sites in one area [24468/11]

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 334: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has completed its independent assessment of the possible impacts for Ireland from the UK's nuclear build programme; when he expects this report to be completed; and when same will be published [24469/11]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 333 and 334 together.

Ireland recognises the right of States to determine their own energy mix, including whether or not to develop nuclear power. It is Ireland's expectation that, where a State chooses to develop a nuclear power industry, this will be done in line with the highest international standards with respect to safety and environmental protection.

In view of the potential for transboundary impacts, however unlikely, the importance of prioritising nuclear safety and environmental protection is a matter of concern to non-nuclear States such as Ireland. With regard to the UK's plans for new nuclear build, including at Sellafield, my Department has engaged bilaterally with the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change on these plans since they were first signalled a number of years ago and continues to do so. This engagement serves to highlight to the UK any concerns identified from Ireland's perspective in relation to the planned new nuclear build. Concerns raised to date have included the long-term management of radioactive waste, as well as potential cumulative impacts of having multiple nuclear sites in an area, including with respect to emergency planning and response and radioactive discharges to the Irish Sea. As part of these ongoing discussions, UK authorities have advised my Department that they have identified no likely significant effects arising for Ireland from the planned new build programme. I will continue in these efforts to ensure that the UK authorities are made aware of and address our concerns and take all possible steps to ensure that the highest levels of safety apply at Sellafield and any other new plants to be developed in the coming years.

At the request of my Department, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) is conducting an independent assessment of possible impacts for Ireland from the UK's new nuclear build programme. This work is ongoing. Its initial timeframe was revised to account for the demands placed on the RPII's Nuclear Safety Directorate by the response and follow-up to the accident at the Fukushima nuclear facility in Japan in March 2011. It is now expected that the results of the assessment will be provided to my Department at the end of 2011.

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