66 Mr. O'Brien asked the Minister for Energy whether, as President of the Council of Energy Ministers, he plans any discussions on the recent European Commission suggestions of a doubling of nuclear power generating capacity within the Community by 2010; and if he will outline the Irish Government's response to the European Commission policy to step up dependence on nuclear power.

I assume the Deputy refers to the Illustrative Programme for Nuclear Energy published in February by the EC Commission acting on its own responsibility under Article 40 of the Euratom Treaty. The illustrative programme gives forecasts of the position of nuclear energy over the next two years, and is an update of the illustrative programme published in 1985.