TDs to inspect safety at Sellafield

A delegation of Irish and British politicians will visit the controversial Sellafield nuclear plant in north-east England today following serious concerns in Ireland about the safety of the facility.

The visit by the British-Irish parliamentary body was arranged before Christmas after the commissioning of a MOX plant at Sellafield.

This is despite the objections of the Irish Government, which has since launched three legal challenges to the continuing operation of the plant.

The Irish delegation visiting Sellafield today includes Fine Gael’s Brian Hayes and Fianna Fail’s Conor Lenihan and Marian McGuinness.

They will inspect safety procedures at the facility and are also expected to seek assurances from BNFL about the implications of a possible deliberate attack on the radioactive waste storage tanks in Sellafield.