Sellafield trip will not close plant - Roche

Minister for the Environment Dick Roche has said that today's visit to Sellafield by the Oireachtas environment committee will not close the plant.

Speaking at a function in Dublin this afternoon, the Minister said that the Government is challenging Sellafield in the European Court and Government policy hasn't changed.

"Going on a junket to Sellafield isn't going to close it. Going out there to have a look at it and to enjoy the journey isn't going to close it," he said. "It's a good thing because it helps highlight the issue further."

The comments followed remarks by committee member and Green Party TD Ciaran Cuffe criticising the Minister for his failure to accompany the delegation. But Mr Roche insisted that he had never received any invitation and said that it was unnecessary for him to travel to the plant.

Members of the Joint Committee on the Environment and Local Government, chaired by Fianna Fail TD Sean Haughey, today toured the plant and met with representatives of British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL).

BNFL confirmed to the Irish delegation that a new "minor leak" was detected last Friday in the main discharge pipe running from the facility into the Irish Sea.

Speaking from the site Mr Haughey said that while the leak represented "no added danger" the fresh incident would further undermine the confidence of the Irish public in the operators of the plant.

Also speaking from the plant, Mr Cuffe claimed the Government had become "complacent" about Sellafield. He said that even if all reprocessing work was completed by 2012, the site clean-up would take at least 150 years.

"During this long clean-up period there will be discharges from Sellafield that will be different in quantity and composition from the current discharges created by reprocessing. The Irish Government need ensure that these discharges are minimised," he said.

The delegation is due to return to Ireland this evening.