The Sellafield nuclear power plant in Cumbria has no future and should be shut down, Minister for the Environment Dick Roche told a conference of Irish and British ministers in Dublin today.
Speaking after the gathering of environment ministers at a meeting of the British-Irish Council in Farmleigh House, Mr Roche said safety at the plant was a major concern to the Government.
Dick Roche
Irish officials have been inspecting facilities and documents at the Cumbrian plant under a bilateral deal signed with the British government last year, Mr Roche said.
"The fact that we have access and information is very, very good, but of course it doesn't satisfy our position that, logically, we do not see a future for this installation," he said. "In fact, in terms of the relationship between the UK and Ireland, we feel that the best approach would be closure."
Today's meeting discussed a range of environmental issues of common interest including, waste management, climate change and EU and international commitments on the protection of the marine environment and the management of shared coastal waters.
Mr Roche said waste management was one of the most significant environmental challenges facing the Ireland and the British Isles.
"The need to ensure that waste is managed in a sustainable manner, it places huge responsibilities on our respective Governments and administrations both in terms of protecting the environment and ensuring that economic development is not hindered by the lack of modern services and infrastructure," he said.
The British-Irish Council was established under the Belfast Agreement. It comprises representatives of the Irish and British Governments as well as the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. Today's meeting is the sixth meeting of Environment Ministers under the Council.
Meanwhile, a senior lecturer at the University of Ulster has warned that Northern Ireland is facing a potential waste "disaster" unless the amount of waste sent to landfill was cut.
Alan Strong said ratepayers face serious financial consequences if the problem of landfill is not addressed in the next 15 years. He said almost 90 per cent of waste in the North is dumped in landfill sites, compared with the target set by the EU of 35 per cent by 2020. The EU has the power to levy massive fines if this target is not met.
"It's a disaster waiting to happen", he warned.