We need less nuclear power plants not more - Mary Lou McDonald

22 November, 2005

Mary Lou McDonald MEP

Sinn Féin National Chairperson and MEP for Dublin Mary Lou McDonald has this morning welcomed a party delegation to the European Parliament in Brussels to discuss the issue of the Sellafield Nuclear reprocessing plant and the wider issue of nuclear power. They will meet MEPs from five different EU countries representing three groupings in the European Parliament.

The Sinn Féin delegation consists of Arthur Morgan TD, Caitríona Ruane MLA and Dundalk Councillor Tomás Sharkey.

The meetings come against the backdrop of the most recent debate in Britain around the issue of nuclear power.

Speaking today Ms McDonald said:

“The current debate on nuclear power which is re-emerging in Britain and the EU is quite alarming. Sinn Féin believes in a nuclear free EU and a nuclear free world. We should be seeking to decommission existing nuclear
facilities, not build more of them. We favour a shift towards efficient and cost-effective renewable energy with a particular emphasis on solar and wind power.

“There is a concern that there is currently an attempt to re-package nuclear energy and present it as green energy.

“Communities up and down the eastern Irish seaboard will undoubtedly be concerned about the re-opening of this debate, considering that the majority of Britain’s current nuclear facilities are sited a few short
miles from the Irish coast.

Speaking today Arthur Morgan TD said:

“Today’s series of meetings represents a proactive initiative to garner European support for action against the Sellafield nuclear facility in North-Western England. This facility remains the most unsafe nuclear site
in Western Europe and is characterised by a catalogue of errors, safety lapses and failure to comply with EU inspection rules. We will continue to build alliances to force the closure of this facility and to promote a
clean green alternative to nuclear power.” ENDS