The Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) All Ireland Forum calls on the Irish Government to make much more detailed representations to its UK counterpart over their plan to leave the EURATOM Treaty, as part of the wider decision for the UK to leave the European Union. The ‘Irish Times’ reports today comments made by the Irish Energy Minister Denis Naughten that he has received assurances from his UK equivalent Greg Clark and officials that the process for the UK nuclear regulator to take over the role of policing the safety and security arrangements of nuclear sites, particularly Sellafield, instead of independent and external Euratom inspectors, is fully on time. NFLA has long been concerned that the Government has been influenced by the ‘cosy chats’ it has with its UK equivalents on nuclear policy, which are not subject to any real openness and transparency. Minister Naughten also saying he is happy with the assurances given by the UK Government does not seem to chime with recent information leaked to Sky News just a month ago. In this report by the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation, who will take on the role that EURATOM inspectors currently undertake, it identifies five “high-level risks” in setting up a new domestic nuclear safeguards regime.
NFLA 18th June 2018 read more »
