Ireland will eventually have to build nuclear stations like other European countries, the ESB chairman Tadhg O'Donoghue has predicted.

Asked would Ireland eventually become a nuclear power generator, he replied: "If I were to come back into this world in 50 years time, there will be nuclear. No question about it. We'll have to solve a lot of the problems and this is where the investment euros must go. Because it is a perfectly renewable energy."

He said this was a "very personal opinion" and not ESB policy. However he said current legislation prevented nuclear energy being generated in Ireland, although the law could be changed.

"It's like everything else, all major issues once enough research was done and once enough investment was made,they were solved and they will be solved. Its a question of when and how long it will take".

Asked whether the Government should study the idea of nuclear energy, Mr O'Donoghue said a European approach might be better.

"I think for instance at European community level they should be investing a lot of investment euros in trying to solve the problems".