Representatives of British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) met local councillors in Co Louth today to discuss concerns with the Sellafield complex in Cumbria.
Mr John Clarke, Head of Environment, Health, Safety and Quality at Sellafield, hosted the presentation and debate in the Castlebellingham Hotel, near Dundalk. He was joined by Dr Rex Strong, BNFL's Head of Environmental Management, and Dr Richard Wakeford, BNFL Principal Research Scientist.
The meeting follows a long-standing invitation from Co Louth councillors.
Speaking after the meeting, Fine Gael TD for Co Louth, Mr Fergus O'Dowd said the company tried to prevent him raising concerns about a terrorist attack on Sellafield.
"When I tried to raise these issues, BNFL refused to offer me a platform. The company only backed down after vigorous protests," Mr O'Dowd said after the information meeting this morning.
"BNFL apparently believes elected Oireachtas members should be mute and acquiescent observers of their spoken word. When there is a clear need for more transparency in the British nuclear industry, this is worrying behaviour for a company with a stockpile of high-grade plutonium on the far side of the Irish Sea.
"I believe the solution for Sellafield lies in appointing the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor the facility in a confidential manner, and to set new global standards for the nuclear industry."
The Minister for the Environment last night welcomed EU findings that proper records have not been kept of nuclear material stored at a pond on the Sellafield complex.
Speaking on RTÉ's Prime Time, Mr Cullen said the EU Commission report confirmed the Government's concerns about the plant. He said the Government had a "consistent position" that the "veil of secrecy" hanging over Sellafield was "absolutely unacceptable".
The Labour Party's spokesman on nuclear safety, Mr Emmet Stagg, said the findings were "a major breakthrough" in the fight against Sellafield.