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Nuclear shipment off Irish coast: Cullen must intervene

Issued : Monday 20 September, 2004

The Labour Party Chief Whip and Spokesperson on Nuclear Safety, Deputy Emmet Stagg has called on Environment Minister Martin Cullen to intervene with the relevant authorities over a shipment of weapons-grade plutonium which is being transported some 150 miles off the Irish coast.

Deputy Stagg has urged the Minister to go to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to use every international convention on marine safety and the marine environment to ensure that the shipment does not enter Irish waters.

“This lethal cargo of plutonium, which is transit from the United States to France is a nuclear hazard which would have enormous consequences for marine and human health were it to leak or explode.

“The Minister is seeking a resolution from the International Atomic Energy Agency but this is not enough. He must intervene with the American and French Government to ensure that this shipment is kept away from Irish seas. Furthermore, he should avail of all international conventions on the marine through the IMO to prevent such a scenario.

“This is not the first time that the Minister’s action on such matters has been found wanting – he should have given due warning about this case and intervened earlier. There is still time to gain concrete assurances about the course of this transportation and those assurances should be found immediately based on existing maritime international law”, he added.