IRELAND'S response to the Chernobyl explosion was "vague and nebulous" and begged comparison with that of the Soviet authorities, according to Ms Pauline Duffy Reimers of the University of Ulster.
In a research paper on Ireland's response to Chernobyl, Ms Duffy Reimers said that Irish people were exposed to excessive radiation because they were not informed of the threat until 24 hours after the plume had reached Ireland. She said the principal problems were lack of organisation and "double speak" from the authorities.
"The fall out could not have been avoided, nor could the strained limits of Irish resources have been altered. But at the very least, a watch could have been kept on the weather.
"Ireland had the best part of a week to develop a strategy for coping in the event that the radioactive plume reached the country," said Ms Duffy Reimers, who is currently researching the implications of Chernobyl.
The RPII insists it will be better prepared for any future accident and now has a 24 hour emergency plan in action, seven a week.
"We were almost totally unprepared for that accident. We had no proper laboratory facilities and no plan on how to deal with such an accident," said Mr John Cunningham of the RPII.
"The biggest problem about Chernobyl was that there was no information available to us. All I have to do now is blow a whistle and everything will happen."
He added that people would be given full and frank information on any future accident. He that the chances of a Chernobyl in Britain are negligible.
But Greenpeace says there is a risk is too high. Eireann says there is a 27 cent chance that easterly will be blowing from Britain the day of a nuclear accident.
"There is still here from an accident that happened 1,500 miles away, but the event of a fall out or across the Irish Sen it catastrophic, said Mr Bowler of Greenpeace.