Ireland:High Court Case/BNFL-NPT Talks

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>> HIGH LEVEL GREENPEACE DELEGATION MEETS WITH TANAISTE

 
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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> HIGH LEVEL GREENPEACE DELEGATION MEETS WITH TANAISTE
  AS HIGH COURT ALLOWS SELLAFIELD/THORP CASE
 
DUBLIN, March 30, 1995 (GP) On the same day as the historic High
Court judgement in favour of the right of four Co Louth
individuals to sue BNFL, operators of the Sellafield site,
Greenpeace met with Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Dick Spring TD, to discuss the impending Extension and Review
Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the
links between this Treaty and Sellafield/THORP.
 
Commenting on the meeting, Ms Clare O'Grady Walshe, Executive
Director of Greenpeace Ireland said that there had been "an
excellent exchange of views and some progress towards reaching
common ground". 
 
Greenpeace's Coordinator of the NPT campaign, Ms Stephanie Mills
of New Zealand, as well as detailing the organisation's policy on
the NPT, cast doubt on the possibility of achieving Ireland's
preferred outcome of indefinite extension of the Treaty.
 
"Many countries are extremely opposed to indefinite extension, a
view which Greenpeace shares," she said. "The NPT, although a
progressive and bold initiative by Ireland, was a Treaty moulded
by the Cold War era. The world needs to progress beyond such a
mentality. A new regime, based on total denuclearisation is now
necessary," stated Ms Mills.
 
The  issue  of  Sellafield/THORP and  the  production  and
international trade in plutonium was also discussed. Current
negotiations are focused solely on a ban on the production of
military plutonium. Greenpeace, however, believes that  all
plutonium must be included.
 
"Ireland is totally opposed to Sellafield/THORP," said Ms O'Grady
Walshe. "It would be nothing less than immoral if the Tanaiste
was not to address this problem within the context of the NPT.
Stockpiles of civil plutonium are projected to outgrow military
supplies by 100% within the next 15 years. All plutonium, whether
civil or military in origin, is weapons usable."
 
"A Treaty which allows the stockpiling of plutonium and which has
failed to stop the growth of nuclear arsenals should clearly not
be made permanent. Greenpeace will continue to demand that
Ireland change its position of support for the nuclear weapons
states and indefinite extension to one of limited, conditional 
extension" concluded Ms O'Grady Walshe.
 
Greenpeace will be urging delegates to the forthcoming Labour
Party National Conference to demand a change in the Government's
policy on the NPT.
 
In welcoming today's High Court decision, Ms O'Grady Walshe said
that "for years Greenpeace has been urging the Government to take
legal action against the UK over Sellafield. But they have been
afraid to do so. It is shameful that it was left to private
citizens to undertake this challenge."
 
"We congratulate and appreciate the efforts by these four brave
people. The Government should be ashamed of their unwillingness
to carry out their duty to protect this country and all its
people" she concluded.
 
ENDS 
 
For further information please contact:
Clare O'Grady Walshe/Stephanie Mills, Tel 01-6619836.