Panorama’s recent report on the Sellafield, first broadcast on September 5, has revealed the latest in a long line of unacceptable safety failings in the site’s handling of dangerous nuclear waste. Based on information provided by an internal whistleblower, the Panorama programme reported serious staff shortages, electrical faults and even the storage of radioactive material in degrading plastic bottles. Most seriously, it revealed the whistle-blower’s fear that an uncontrolled fire at Sellafield could cause a ‘radioactive plume’ that could spread across western Europe.
What consideration has been given if there was such a ‘radioactive plume’ spread across the Irish coast to our coastline?
The BBC has performed a great public service in exposing these dangers, and the internal whistleblower at Sellafield must be commended for their courage in speaking out in the public interest. When this litany of hazards was exposed to the public, the impetus rested on the British government to accept mistakes had been made and to commit to doing everything necessary to protect public health. Yet rather than immediately recognising the problem, the newly appointed minister responsible for nuclear decommissioning instead came to the Commons to deny that the whistleblower’s revelations were any reason for the public to be concerned, effectively arguing that consistent safety failures were an acceptable management strategy for nuclear waste. Listening to the minister’s statement in the Chamber, it quickly became clear that the government had nothing more to offer than an unsubstantiated denial of the evidence presented by Panorama.
The dangers reported at Sellafield are too serious to be hand-waved away by ministers. Only a fully independent and transparent judicially-appointed inquiry into safety measures at Sellafield can rebuild the public’s trust that the government is capable of handling toxic nuclear waste in a competent way. Anything less than this can only leave the impression that the government and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority are deliberately trying to hide their own failings from public view.
This inquiry must include representatives from the governments of all areas that are endangered by potential failures at Sellafield. Were there an equivalent site to Sellafield on the other side of the Irish Sea or across the channel, the British government would rightly accept nothing less than a full investigation into the risks posed to the British public – the reverse must apply here.
If it is difficult to highlight the risks of nuclear waste without sounding alarmist, it is only because the risks involved are so severe. It is not my intent to provoke fear or alarm over Sellafield, but with the nuclear waste situated directly across the Irish Sea from Co Down, I see these failings as a direct threat to the safety of my constituents. This issue will not be resolved overnight, but an inquiry independent of government is the essential first step.
MARGARET RITCHIE MP
South Down
Vast majority in favour of promoting Irish language
My attention has been drawn to a letter ‘Irish Language is taking Republicans further from their goal’ (September 9).
The writer, poor Maurice Fitzgerald, must live in a strange enclave in south-east Cork (aptly named on Sean Bhaile) far from the real world.
He must have led a sheltered existence which feeds only on the rubbish that a media that fails to notice and report on the real Ireland and the many Irish speakers throughout the country and has failed to notice that there are far more Irish speakers in the east of the country than the entire population of Leódhasis as the Isle of Lewis is known to the Gaelic speakers (Lewis has a population of about 19,000).
And to assume that Irish has its roots in the Norse of the Vikings who came to these islands about 1,500 years after Celtic inhabitants of this island developed early Irish, or that the Gaelic speakers of Scotland owe their language to their being overrun by the Irish speakers from the north of Ireland in the 7th Century are further example of how his grasp of the facts are defective. He has failed to notice the demand for Gaelscoileanna throughout the country
(250 schools or about 45,000 pupils when I last looked).
Maurice belongs to that 7 per cent of the population which an Ipsos MORI survey 10 years ago thought that Irish should not be promoted in anyway.
More recent data from other surveys – Milward Brown surveys carried out in 2016 and 2015 for Conradh na Gaeilge – show that a vast majority (far more that there are ‘republicans’) are in favour of Ireland promoting the Irish Language north and south.
LIAM O hAIMHAIN
Baile Átha Cliath 6W
Castigating the Republic
It is hilarious to hear all the lefty, independent politicians, and especially Sinn Féin, joining in with the EU decision to castigate the
Republic and our corporate tax rate for multinational companies which employ so many Irish in our country.
Do they wish to see the back of this vital employment should so much pressure be exerted that said companies decide they are better off going somewhere else?
It is farcical when we consider Sinn Féin and their independent cohorts were against joining the EU all those years ago in the first place – to now hear them bleating about the ‘missed opportunity’ of obtaining phantom money with which to give to the poor and needy should the unelected commissions of the EU get their way regarding Ireland.
What is happening now regarding Apple is just a pip when we consider Ireland was forced to lose sovereignty over our vast fishing waters as a pre-requisite for even getting a vote to join the EU dictatorship.
Address this festering issue among many other stark injustices we suffer because of EU membership. It is always those with the vested interests and lucrative links to the EU bloc who make most noise in its defence.
ROBERT SULLIVAN
Bantry, Co Cork
Religious prejudice
Danny Treacy in his letter (September 5) which was in response to my letter (August 26) tells us that the violence that undermines religious intolerance in the world is unlikely to be overcome without public discourse that embraces intellectual honesty and unbiased critical thinking.
In my view his letter fails to meet his own criteria.
In my letter, which was in response to his original letter (August 11), I made it very clear that my arguments were based on Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch’s history of the Reformation 1490 to 1700 and on occasions I quoted directly from it.
Mr Treacy in his letter conveniently failed to acknowledge that fact.
If the professor’s statements and statistics contradict his I fail to see that as justification for him venting his spleen on me while lacing it with some convoluted arguments.
G SAVAGE
Newcastle, Co Down
Search for descendants
A t present I’m compiling a family tree on the Murrens of Annacor, Castlebaldwin, Co Sligo.
One of this family, Margaret (c.1881-c.1974), moved to Belfast and married a man by the name of Polland or Polin.
Are there any descendants who are interested in helping me out? Would they please contact me on 00353879869183/damiandodd@hotmail.com
DAMIAN L DODD
Co Sligo
