Irish Sea is safe and so is nuclear power

Dr Edward Horgan says (Letters, Oct 25) that “the Irish Sea is one of the most nuclear-polluted, because of the number of nuclear power stations and facilities on its English, Welsh and Scottish coastlines, and because its partial enclosure leads to a build-up of pollutants.”

This is untrue. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland carries out regular checks on the Irish Sea, and reports that a heavy consumer of seafood from the Irish Sea would incur a dose no greater than one microsievert, which is small compared to the 150 or so microsievert received from the naturally-occurring nuclide Polonium-210. The average Irish person receives 3,950 microsievert from all sources of radiation.

Dr Horgan’s solution to our energy needs is to use “safer, cheaper, and more environmentally sustainable forms of energy”. His solution would be wonderful — if only it were practicable. Wind and solar power are unreliable and require back-up sources of power; and wave power isn’t yet available. Many nations have realised this and have gone for nuclear power. Why should Ireland be different?