Sir, Congratulations to Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney in his role as a world leader on the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (Opinion, August 6th).
Mr Coveney also has a critical role on Brexit, which includes the UK’s resignation from the Euratom Treaty, leaving no international oversight on nuclear safety in Britain. The UK Sellafield site holds approximately 22 tanks of high radioactive waste, described as “secure interim storage facilities”, each tank contains the radioactive potential of 10 nuclear reactors. A continuous supply of electricity and water is required to keep these tanks cooled, a loss of either for over 36 hours will lead to an uncontrollable nuclear meltdown.
Given Sellafield’s poor safety record, and its continuing discharge of radioactive waste into the Irish Sea, some new international forum is urgently required in response to global concerns. – Yours, etc,
M JORDAN,
Baltimore,
Co Cork.
A chara, – I agree with your Editorial (August 7th) and with Simon Coveney that the risk of a nuclear catastrophe is unacceptably high (Opinion, August 6th). Now that Ireland is a member of the UN Security Concerns, I believe that we could use our influence, more diligently, to promote disarmament of such weapons by the major powers. I’m confident that we would get the support of other smaller countries. – Is mise,
SEÁN Ó CUINN,
An Charraig Dhubh,
Co Átha Cliath.