asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if it is the Government's intention to take the necessary steps to have Ireland declared a nuclear free zone; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Ireland is bound by the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons not to manufacture or acquire nuclear weapons and there is, of course, no question of allowing other States to place their nuclear weapons here. The main characteristics of a nuclear weapon-free zone, which are non-possession, non-deployment and non-use of nuclear weapons, are therefore met in our case. I should point out, however, that the concept of a nuclear weapon-free zone is understood internationally to mean arrangements to be free of nuclear weapons entered into by a group of States in a region. No State has alone declared itself a nuclear weapon-free zone.

If the term "nuclear free zone" used in the Deputy's question is intended also to refer to nuclear power plants, I can say, while pointing out that this matter is mainly one for my colleague, the Minister for Industry and Energy, that it is not the intention to approve any nuclear power station in the State as long as any doubts remain about the environmental or waste disposal risks of such a project.

I might add, in regard to nuclear weapon-free zones, that aside from the special case of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 which prohibits measures of a military nature in the Antarctic, the only nuclear weapon-free zone to be created by an international agreement is that established for Latin America by the 1967 Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America.

In view of the pioneering roles adopted by one of his predecessors, the former Deputy Aiken, in the UN in relation to the nuclear treaty there, would the Minister and the Government not consider it to be a positive and exemplary step by the Irish State to declare this State to be a nuclear-free zone in relation to both nuclear weapons and atomic power?

Having regard to what I said in my reply, such a declaration would seem to be rhetorical.

Would the Minister agree that in a situation like this an example can be given by a country such as this which might prod some of the other countries in Europe, which would become the battlefield in any nuclear war should it break out? Whatever about the rhetorical nature of the gesture, does he not agree it would have some value? Would the Minister consider assessing the value of such a move?

I consider what the Deputy has suggested as being very novel. I will see if we can study the Deputy's suggestion to have it evaluated.