Madam - David McGuinness (July 12th) questions the security of supply of uranium, if Ireland were ever to go nuclear.
The world's uranium resources are largely situated in stable nations, Canada and Australia being principal exporters. In addition, future reactor designs will make much more efficient use of these resources.
Wind and ocean energy will play a significant role in Ireland's energy mix. The variability of such sources, however, means they are only a partial solution. Their application is likely to be limited to less than a third combined.
In truth, there is no one solution to the energy question. To reach where we need to be in 50 years we need to use every energy source we can: wind, ocean, biomass, nuclear and solar power must all play a role. It's not a case of which, but when and how much. - Yours, etc,
AONGHUS SHORTT, Energy Needs Ireland Research Group, UCD, Dublin 4.