Ireland Debates Lifting 1999 Ban on Nuclear Power Amid Energy Crisis

Ireland is reconsidering its 1999 statutory ban on nuclear power, with Fianna Fáil backing a Bill to remove it. This comes as senior Government figures suggest nuclear energy, specifically small modular reactors (SMRs), could complement renewables amidst Gulf instability and rising oil prices. Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien supported sending James O’Connor’s Bill to the Dáil, though renewable energy remains the Government’s priority.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is open to the idea, acknowledging cost and time considerations. Think-tank Progress Ireland, through executive director Seán Keyes, advocates for SMR technology, citing its potential for «abundant, cheap and clean power» and urging Ireland to consider it as Denmark has. Keyes argues against prematurely ruling out SMRs, suggesting a balanced approach alongside wind energy development.

However, significant challenges remain. Public perception links nuclear power to disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima, and waste concerns persist. Paul Deane, a senior lecturer at University College Cork, highlights the difficulty of gaining social support for 18 necessary reactors, which would need to be spread across cities like Dublin, Limerick, Cork, and Galway. He estimates the technology is at least 15 years away, with only a few serviceable reactors currently in China and Russia.

Deane advises Ireland to observe Canada’s Darlington New Nuclear Project, which is constructing the first SMRs in a G7 country, expected to power 1.2 million homes. Oisín Coghlan, a policy adviser to The Environmental Pillar, views the political support for nuclear power as a distraction and «vice signalling» to tech companies and the US administration. He argues it makes no sense from an energy or cost perspective, emphasizing that current solutions like cheap solar power are readily available and should be prioritized over future, uncertain nuclear options.