Labour Party leader Mr Ruairí Quinn has today called on British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair to cancel plans for the development of the MOX plant at Sellafield.
Speaking at the British embassy today - where he and a number of colleagues handed in a letter of protest over the recently commissioned plant - Mr Quinn accused the prime minister of double standards over the decision.
Although Mr Quinn congratulated Mr Blair's efforts to bring peace to Northern Ireland, he said the same enthusiasm had not been applied to the Sellafield issue.
"It seems that co-operation on our mutual problem in Northern Ireland does not extend to co-operation and consultation about our mutual environment and the threat posed to it by Sellafield," he said.
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Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria
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Mr Quinn also said considering the events of September 11th, it was "ironic" that the British government would permit the building of "an unnecessary and additional target for terrorists at home".
In a Dáil debate this evening and tomorrow night, Labour will present a ten-point action plan to fight the development of the plant and will criticise the Government's failure to take "assertive action" over Sellafield.
Labour Deputy Mr Emmet Stagg, who headed plans while in office over four years ago for the successful blocking of a planned underground nuclear dump, said today the Irish Government had gone "soft on Sellafield".
He said commissioning of the MOX plant could have been prevented had the Government taken the necessary legal action.