54 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she has received evidence from British Nuclear Fuel that the high level liquid radioactive waste stored in tanks at Sellafield can withstand a major terrorist attack; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4401/02]

I have asked the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII, for a report on this matter and am advised that the RPII has not received evidence from British Nuclear Fuels that the highly active storage tanks, HASTS, can withstand a major terrorist attack. BNFL has assured the RPII that the HASTS are robust enough to endure such an attack. However, due to security restrictions imposed by the UK Government in response to the events of September 11, insufficient technical information has been revealed to permit the RPII's verification of this assurance. The RPII is continuing to press for access to further information on this matter. In my view, there is a clear onus on BNFL to accelerate the process of vitrification of this liquid waste.