Meeting Ireland’s energy needs

A chara, – As Frank Bannister writes, “there is simply no chance of a nuclear power station being built in Ireland in the foreseeable future” (February 27th), but then we have no need to sully ourselves with this horrendous power source since we are connected to the UK electricity grid and therefore to Europe. We are also investigating a cable connection to France, more than 50 per cent of whose electricity comes from nuclear stations. When passing the “Nuclear Free” sign on the way to Cork City I smiled and wondered how they were going to manage to take my X-ray if that were true.

This is the same Nimby attitude of the anti-incinerator groups who wash their hands of our increasing piles of waste as it is shipped abroad for others to deal with, sometimes by incineration. – Is mise,

KEITH J DRANSFIELD ,

Lismore, Co Waterford.

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Sir, – There were some very useful points in Dick Ahlstrom’s article about energy, especially about reducing our usage (“Nine ways to power Ireland”, February 21st). However, it would help if the Government was serious about it. Given that only two years ago, Electric Ireland introduced a new billing system that saw some customers having their bills increased for not using enough electricity, we may assume that the Government is just spouting empty words. – Yours, etc,

RICHARD BARTON,

Tinahely, Co Wicklow.

Sir, – It has sometimes been quipped that Ireland’s energy needs could be significantly helped if our best brains were to focus on coming up with some effective means of connecting the national grid to all the windbags in the Dáil and Seanad, and in particular to the infinite supply of hot air produced there and in the Public Accounts Committee. Isn’t it about time that a proper feasibility study was conducted on this matter? – Yours, etc,

IVOR SHORTS,

Rathfarnham, Dublin16.