SCORES of people marched through Dublin on Saturday to mark the 10th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident. They were led by pipers from the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band, who played a lament in memory of the fire fighters who died as a result of their efforts to douse the fire and cap the reactor.
The marchers laid flowers at the Mansion House, where the actor Mick Lally and the Green Party MEP, Ms Nuala Ahern, read extracts from the writings of Chernobyl children. Two Ukrainian scientists, Dr Natal in Preobrazhenskaya and Mr Volodymyr Usatenko, spoke of their experiences in the aftermath of the disaster and its long term effects.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State with responsibility for nuclear safety, Mr Emmet Stagg, said his Department and other departments continued to assist the Attorney General in his "reassessment" of the case for legal action against Sellafield.
"We all want Sellafield shut down," he said. "Its proximity to our island, its history of mismanagement and litany of incidents are well known to us all. The tragedy of Chernobyl and the transboundary effects of that appalling accident reaffirmed our view that Sellafield with its ageing Magnox reactors is not a suitable neighbour to have practically next door."
Mr Stagg stressed that the closure of Sellafield remained a Government priority.