The Naval Service will be deployed to monitor British Nuclear Fuel¿s (BNFL) controversial shipment of plutonium when it passes near Irish waters over the next two weeks.
A Department spokesman told ireland.comthis evening that while he could not go into operational details, he could confirm that the Department of Defence would make available naval vessels and aircraft.
The shipment of MOX fuel ' recycled plutonium ' is due to pass through the Irish Sea in the next two weeks and the Government has made it clear that it is not welcome within Ireland's territorial waters.
The Government has come under enormous pressure form all Opposition parties and environmental groups to stop the shipment amid claims the two ships are floating terrorist targets.
The Department would not comment this evening on whether the Naval Service would patrol a 12-mile zone or adopt positions closer to the shipment. Greenpeace last week called for Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone of between between 25 and 200 miles to be protected.
It is claimed the two ships - Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal - are carrying enough plutonium to make 50 nuclear bombs, although British Nuclear Fuels contests this.
The nuclear shipment was originally delivered to Japan in 1999 but was rejected when quality assurance checks showed BNFL had falsified safety documents.