Ahern 'opposed' to use of nuclear energy in Ireland

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he is "opposed" to nuclear power as a future option for Ireland's energy needs.

Speaking after an address to a conference of engineers in Dublin today, Mr Ahern said: "I have never believed in the merits of it, from an environmental point of view and from an energy point of view."

He said although there had never been a national poll on the issue, he believed the vast majority of Irish people remained to be convinced about atomic energy. The Taoiseach said other avenues of energy sources should be exploited further.

In his address to the two-day conference hosted by the Engineers of Ireland, Mr Ahern said: "As our economy has grown over the past decade so, naturally, has our overall energy requirement.

"In a global context we are facing into major issues such as energy costs and security of supply. Protecting our environment and managing our waste continue to be a major concern," he said.

But he warned the State must consider all the alternatives that are available to it, including the development of alternative technologies and promoting more energy-efficient options.

The conference will hear from several energy experts including Luis Echávarri - the director general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Nuclear Energy Agency.

A report by the State enterprise agency Forfás - published earlier this month - said Ireland should not rule out nuclear energy as part of a strategy to lessen the economy's dependence on oil.

The report said the Republic is the third highest consumer of oil per head in the EU.

It warned that if this dependence on oil and on car transport is not reduced, then the economy will be threatened when the cheap oil supplies disappear.