The Taoiseach is to be asked to seek an explanation from the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, about leaked internal British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) memos complaining of Irish success in the campaign against Sellafield.
The memos, published in yesterday's Guardian and apparently written in BNFL's public relations office, complain that British diplomats had failed to stand up for the company against Irish Government campaigning against the Sellafield nuclear plant.
They argue that Irish antipathy to Sellafield was "as so many things are in Ireland, the result, at least in part, of history". One memo stated: "It is not unknown to see Cromwell and Sellafield both mentioned in the same newspaper article".
Another memo, written before a visit to BNFL in May by the British ambassador to Ireland, Sir Ivor Roberts, read: "In its dealings with the Irish Government the British embassy should stand four-square behind BNFL".
It added that BNFL's attempt to improve its image in Ireland would also benefit relations between the two governments. It admitted that its real work in Ireland was "damage-limitation" and claimed that the Irish objections were "ill-informed" and fuelled by politicians who saw it as an easy issue.
BNFL has refused to comment on the memos.
The Independent TD for Wicklow, Ms Mildred Fox, said last night she was "appalled" at the published details and she intended raising the matter with the Taoiseach.
Meanwhile, the EU Commission is to take the British government to the European Court of Justice over its failure to supply information on the dismantling of a particularly dangerous part of the Sellafield plant, the No 1 plutonium-producing pile.