The Government is to press ahead with its legal attempt to compel the British government to close down its nuclear plant in Sellafield, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said after the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) meeting in Hillsborough Castle yesterday.
After the BIIGC meeting, Northern Secretary Peter Hain, flanked by Mr Ahern, repeated to reporters that the British government had no intention of building nuclear power plants in the North.
Mr Ahern responded that the Government had already welcomed that commitment, but "that is good as far as it goes". He said the British government should close Sellafield and should also reconsider its plans to create new nuclear plants in Britain.
"We are the first Irish government ever to take legal action against Britain in relation to the continuation of Sellafield, and that will continue."
Mr Ahern added that he and Mr Hain had agreed there must be increased co-operation in terms of developing renewable energy options. "I think you will see a lot of work being done in the coming weeks on that," he said.
Sinn Féin environment spokesman Arthur Morgan TD, said the Government must be clear in opposing moves to build more nuclear reactors. "This is no time for a soft approach from the Irish Government ... Dermot Ahern must take a stand on behalf of the Irish people and demand that Britain pulls back from its nuclear agenda and pursues a policy of renewable energy," he said.
SDLP MP for South Down Eddie McGrady welcomed the commitments by the British and Irish governments. "But if the British government are serious about a nuclear-free Ireland they must announce the rejection of the Sellafield site as one of the locations for their new-generation nuclear power stations and pursue with vigour the rundown and closure of the Sellafield site for good."