The Government parties and Fine Gael are divided over proposals from a Dáil committee to hold public hearings on nuclear energy in the new year.
The Fine Gael members of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources are opposed to plans to have hearings on nuclear energy involving experts from around the world. They claim the Government is intent on introducing nuclear energy "through the back door".
Fine Gael TD and committee member Bernard Durkan told The Irish Times: "We will be wasting our time having such hearings. We would be a lot better served if we debated the merits of alternative energies instead."
However, the Fianna Fáil chairman of the committee, Noel O'Flynn, denied this was the case, and said informed debate would be beneficial to everyone.
He confirmed that the committee would be meeting on January 9th to decide if the hearings on nuclear energy will go ahead. "I will hear the views of all the members on that date and we will decide then."
Mr O'Flynn said he was conscious of the fact that the Government had ruled out in law the establishment of nuclear generation plants for the foreseeable future. "But I feel we should have the debate and listen to experts from countries who have nuclear energy capacity. A public hearing where we can engage with the experts would be very useful."
He added: "I am not in favour of nuclear energy, but am in favour of a debate and hearing the views of all sides." He pointed out that the committee's report on energy published last July recommended that hearings on nuclear energy take place.
PD committee member Fiona O'Malley said it was in the committee's interests to have a debate. "I am in favour of looking at it. You can't make up your mind until you have all of the information. It is about time that we have had a mature look at it. I welcome reasoned, informed debate."
Mr Durkan said he was strongly against the committee having the public hearings. He said there was "no doubt in my mind" that the two Government parties would introduce nuclear energy through the back door if they got away with it.
"I have read that nuclear energy is safe and that no one died in Chernobyl. That is not true.
"We are not an oil-producing nation, but we have gas and we have wind and it's quite sustainable. But we need back-up energy sources and there are a number of alternatives. I think the Government parties are trying to introduce nuclear energy as a back-up".
However, other Opposition parties are in favour of having the hearings.
Green Party committee member Eamon Ryan said that while he was firmly against nuclear energy the committee would be the appropriate forum for the debate where experts could be invited from around the world.
"It doesn't make sense for Ireland to go down the route of nuclear energy and it will not, but this will be apparent the more experts we bring in and hear from. If we don't get this debate over and done with and put aside, the longer it will take us to start looking at the real energy solutions."
He added: "We just need to bring in experts to tell us the latest developments and we will then decide for ourselves."
Labour TD and committee member Tommy Broughan said that he was open to having debate on the issue.
However, he said with major Bills to consider in the new year he did not think the committee would get around to it before a general election.