Ahern to raise Sellafield objections with Blair

The Taoiseach told the Dáil this morning he would be raising the Government’s objections to the expansion of nuclear reprocessing facilities at Sellafield with the British Prime Minister.

Mr Bertie Ahern said the British decision was "difficult to comprehend".

A Government source said Mr Ahern intended to express his strongest objections to the plans to Mr Tony Blair. He hoped to be in touch by telephone either this afternoon or early tomorrow.

Mr Ahern told the Dáil the Government was considering a legal challenge to the British government in the European Court, with further submissions to the United Nations if necessary.

I would have expected a new and enlightened focus on safety and exposure to risk Minister Joe Jacob

Britain this morning dismissed claims the opening of the £460 million sterling mixed-oxide (MOX) plant could pose a serious security risk.

Energy Minister Mr Brian Wilson said it would be impossible for terrorists to raid the plant for dangerous material. There was "very, very strong security", he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We believe these are robust. There will obviously be further reviews in the light of what is happening. but there are tough physical protection measures at all times during manufacture and transport".

He was responding to claims by the Minister of State for Public Enterprise Mr Joe Jacob that building the plant "defied logic in the current climate of international terrorist threats".

"I would have expected a new and enlightened focus on safety and exposure to risk," Mr Jacob said yesterday, adding the Government felt "quite affronted" by yesterday’s formal approval of the opening.

Mr Jacob said Ireland’s legal challenge before the OSPAR Convention - a 14-nation environmental body - against the plant was now "irrelevant".

Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden - all members of OSPAR - support Ireland in its attempts to have Sellafield shut down. An arbitration meeting under the Ospar Convention was due to take place between British and Irish officials tomorrow.

It is expected several major environmentalist groups, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, will also mount legal challenges to the British government.