Call for informed nuclear debate

IRELAND needs to have a calm, rational debate about nuclear energy, rather than emotively dismissing the option out-of-hand, a cross- party Oireachtas committee has said.

Fri, 09 Jun, 2006 - 01:00

Paul O’Brien, Political Reporter

The Government has repeatedly ruled out building nuclear power plants to generate electricity, despite the country’s over-dependence on imported fuels.

The Opposition has also said it would not resort to nuclear energy.

However, in a major review of the energy sector published yesterday, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources said an informed debate on nuclear-generated electricity is imperative.

The committee said some countries were counteracting high energy prices by using nuclear power.

“France imports only 10% of its fuel requirements, nuclear and hydro between them constituting 90% of its energy sources,” the review stated. “Therefore, only 10% of its fuel is exposed to price fluctuations.”

The committee said it was “cognisant of the very valid rationale behind Irish policy on this issue but feels that it would be helpful to revisit the debate in the light of the changed international energy supply circumstances, even if only to confirm present policy”.

Speaking at the report launch, committee chairman and Fianna Fáil TD Noel O’Flynn said the committee would be ideally placed to facilitate the debate and report back to the Oireachtas on the matter. He urged the Government to set that process in motion by tabling a Dáil request for the committee to examine the issue.

Fellow committee members were in agreement that the debate on nuclear power was urgently needed — even if they were opposed to plants being built here.

Green Party TD Eamon Ryan said: “I don’t think it’s right for the Taoiseach to say we’re not going to go [nuclear] because it’s not popular. That’s not the right way to approach energy policy issues.

“We have to [ask]: does it make sense for this country, yes or no? I’m quite confident ‘no’ would be the scientific answer to that. Therefore, I want a debate.”