Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan has called for an urgent public debate on nuclear energy.
His call comes as the British government today announced plans for new generation of nuclear power stations, ending years of uncertainty over its energy plans and adding momentum to atomic energy's worldwide renaissance.
Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan
Mr Ryan said he favoured having the debate here at the Climate Change and Energy Security Oireachtas committee.
"Let's have the debate on the record and in public so that the real science and the energy policy issues can be debated in detail," he said.
But Labour energy spokeswoman Liz McManus claimed Mr Ryan's call for a debate was "disingenuous" and that the Government "has no intention of pursuing any nuclear option".
Ms McManus highlighted the fact that the Government was precluded by law from doing so and that the Government's own white paper on energy, published last year, says the Government will maintain the statutory prohibition on nuclear generation in Ireland.
"Rather than being upfront, Minister Ryan is ducking the issue by calling for a debate, but refusing to initiate one himself," she said.
Employers' group Ibec today welcomed Mr Ryan's call for a debate on nuclear energy.
"There is a urgent need to change the way we meet our energy requirements. Concern about climate change and the price and availability of traditional energy sources all point to the need for diversified low-carbon energy sources," Ibec director general Turlough O'Sullivan said.
