Ryan accused of passing the buck on nuclear energy

ENERGY Minister Eamon Ryan has been accused of ducking the issue of nuclear power by encouraging debate on the subject when government policy is firmly opposed to it.

Mr Ryan said a full public discussion on the use of nuclear energy here should take place, preferably at the Oireachtas committee on climate change and energy security, where experts from all sides could be called to present their cases.

He was responding to the announcement by the British government yesterday that 10 nuclear power plants are to be built in England and Wales, most likely at existing nuclear sites, which would include the controversial Sellafield site where nuclear waste is reprocessed.