The Green Party has challenged Forfás, the State advisory body on science and technology, to back up its call on the Government to consider nuclear power.
The Greens insist that the economic and scientific facts rule it out as an option for Ireland.
Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said he was "disappointed" that last week's Forfás report on Ireland's oil dependence had turned into a revival of calls for the introduction of nuclear power. This, coupled with the absence of any coherent Government energy policy, led him to believe that the public was being "softened up" for nuclear power.
Forfás said in its report that the Government should consider introducing nuclear power. It was "not economically feasible in the short to medium term", but should be considered as a more long-term solution.
Green Party environment spokesman Eamonn Ryan said he was concerned that the Government was not pursuing alternative energy strategies, and that it might go for the nuclear power option when the shortage of oil became more acute.
"There is a sense that we will turn to it at the end, so we will not develop other alternatives now."
Mr Sargent said in contrast Sweden had announced that by 2020 it would not be dependent on oil and would not turn to nuclear power. "That kind of clarity is what we need."
He challenged Forfás to come out with its analysis for why nuclear power should be considered "if it has one".
Mr Ryan said there should be a full debate now on nuclear power, and he was confident that the economic and scientific facts would then rule it out.
"Let's hear the ESB, Ibec and nuclear experts. Let's start hearing about the economics of it."
Mr Sargent said it cost €3 billion to build a nuclear power plant, and he believed, based on expert opinion, that Ireland would need three such plants were it to become reliant on nuclear power.
"The real cost has not been articulated, leaving aside any consideration of the futility, the immorality and the unsustainability of it."