The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, has called on the British government to allow officials from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) to inspect the Sellafield nuclear plant.
After a visit to Sellafield, Mr Kenny said managers at British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) had informed him that they had no objection to giving access to the RPII but were prevented from so doing by the British govermment.
Mr Kenny said: "Strand three of the Good Friday agreement provides for enhanced co-operation between the British and Irish governments. I see very real concerns about the continued operation of Sellafield as an issue which can be dealt with under this strand."
He said Irish nuclear specialists had not been allowed to visit Sellafield for three years. "Given the potentially catastrophic implication of a terrorist attack on Sellafield for this country, I believe that the RPII must be given access ot the plant as a matter of urgency," he said.
A spokesman for the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, said the Government had already established an informal agreement on access with BNFL.
