Cullen to voice Irish opposition to Sellafield

Minister for the Environment Mr Martin Cullen said today he would voice Irish opposition to the mixed-oxide (MOX) reprocessing plant at Sellafield when he meets his British counterparts in Johannesburg.

Speaking on RTÉ radio this morning, he said he had been trying to meet the British Secretary of State for Environment Ms Margaret Beckett or Minister of State for the Environment Mr Michael Meacher.

"I am going to tell them again what the Irish approach is. We are not backing down on the legal approach we have taken . . . that is very much going forward," he said.

Mr Cullen said one important agreement reached in Johannesburg was getting a number of other EU countries to join with Ireland in agreeing that renewable energy will not include nuclear power.

He said Austria, Belgium, Greece and Germany were among those countries agreeing to the protocol during negotiations for Type 2 Energy. This will provide EU help to developing countries to focus on renewable and safe forms of energy.

"These countries are now coming to the Irish perspective on this. I am trying to build an international nuclear alliance on this," said Mr Cullen.

Early next week two ships, the Pacific Pintailand Pacific Teal, carrying a consignment of MOX fuel, (a potentially weapons-usable mix of plutonium and uranium oxides) will enter the Irish Sea en route to Barrow-on-Furness - near the Sellafield plant.

The MOX fuel is being returned to BNFL after Japan's Kansai Electric Power Co discovered that data for a 1999 shipment from Britain had been deliberately falsified and refused to accept it.

Greenpeace is planning to stage a protest on the Irish Sea to mark the ships arrival - although it has promised not to impede the vessels.