Republican News · Thursday 1 November 2001

Cross-party unity against Sellafield urged

Sinn Féin Cavan/Monaghan TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has written to the leaders of all parties and to the Independent members in Leinster House seeking a consensus for united action against the Sellafield nuclear plant.

In the Dáil debate on Sellafield last week, Ó Caoláin made a strong plea for cross-party unity. While he supported many elements of a Labour Party motion, he said that it was no time for recriminations about the failures of this and previous governments. "I feel so strongly on this point that I am willing to support the government amendment in a practical demonstration of my commitment to a united approach," he told fellow TDs and, unusually for him, he voted with the government. Earlier he told the Dail: "Now is the time for united purpose and united action. It is not the time for party political point scoring. It may give us short term satisfaction and marginal electoral advantage to have a go at the Administration for not doing enough but in this crisis it only serves to dissipate vital energy which must be used to campaign to get the MOX plant stopped and to get Sellafield closed.

"Discussions between the parties and the drafting of a motion could have achieved a unanimous vote. We must seek to achieve that in the time ahead so that the message goes out to the world that there is total unanimity against Sellafield and behind a forceful campaign for its closure.

"Many in this House have scorned Sinn Féin when we have pointed out the delays, the failures and the bad faith of the British government at various stages of the peace process. At the root of that bad faith is the historic disregard for the Irish people which still persists among large sections of official Britain. Nowhere is that better illustrated than in their contempt for Irish opinion on Sellafield.

"This grave and imminent danger to all our lives requires unprecedented action. We should establish in the Oireachtas an all-party action committee to forge a united and effective approach. The party leaders in this House and, if possible those in the Assembly in the Six Counties, should come together at the earliest opportunity, in a very public way, to lead the campaign for closure. I would urge a mass public campaign in both Ireland and Britain, spearheaded by the Irish government and Irish political parties and mobilising people power to have this plant shut down. We must deploy every possible method in this campaign, diplomatic, legal and political. We need to mobilise the wide support the closure demand enjoys within Britain itself. Political pressure at national and international level and the deployment of people power is what will close Sellafield."