‘Confusing and concerning’ – No meeting of Irish nuclear advisory body for two years, despite threats from war and a volatile energy market

The State’s nuclear protection advisory committee has not met in nearly two years despite the volatile security situation at the Zaporizhzhia and Chernobyl power plants in Ukraine, as well as Russian threats to use nuclear weapons.

The committee may no longer even have any formal standing as its term of office was due to expire in April last year.

One of its members, who is  a former adviser to the UK government, said he was “confused and concerned” by the failure to convene the group for so long. 

Dr Paul Dorfman, a member since the first comm ittee was form  ed in 2015, admitted he had not pushed for a meeting but said he would now ask that one be scheduled.

“The committee should meet, and soon,” he said.

The Radiological Protection Advisory Committee, which is made up of 16 experts from medical, environmental, public health and scientific backgrounds, is convened by the Environmental Protection Agency.

It last met in June 2021 when, minutes show, the members discussed developments in nuclear power in the UK and Belgium and an upcoming inspection of Ireland’s procedures for the management of radioactive waste from medical and industrial settings.

They also discussed radon levels in workplaces and concerns around radon testing and preventative measures in homes and made a number of recommendations for follow-up.

Since then, nuclear-related issues have become more prominent internationally and nationally but no meeting has been arranged.

“I find that confusing in the current context and I strongly recommend that the committee carry out its duties as soon as possible,” Dr Dorfman said.

“I personally am concerned about this given the current situation.”

He said he knew his concerns were shared by at least one other member.

Dr Dorfman is an associate fellow at the University of Sussex and an independent nuclear consultant who is also part of the International Nuclear Risk Assessment Group.

He said there are three main issues the advisory committee needs to discuss. They are concerns over the radiation risks from the war in Ukraine, growing debate around the potential for new nuclear plants to ease the energy crisis, and the proposed role for nuclear in accelerating climate action.

“People like me this time last year didn’t sleep,” he said, referring to the first outbreak of shooting and shelling around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

While the plant is no longer in generation mode, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency last week described ongoing fighting around it, and the threats to the control systems that manage the radioactive material within it, as “untenable”.

Agency director, Rafael Grossi, spoke to the world’s media after the plant suffered another cut to the power supply needed to run the control systems.

“Each time we are rolling a dice. And if we allow this to continue time after time then one day our luck will run out,” he said.

Dr Dorfman said while it was unlikely a radiation release from the plant would reach Ireland, the issue still needed to be considered, along with the knock-on effects from the impact on other parts of Europe.