Eamon Ryan nixes two applications for Uranium exploration licenses.

SeanW

Read all about it here http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/1202/uranium.html

Wonderful. These projects could have created revenue for the government, jobs for Donegal people and prestige for Ireland. Had the exploration been succesful, it could have helped the besieged world nuclear industry to compete against Big Coal and Gas.

Two things in particular bother me about this.

Firstly, does Eamon Ryan also oppose exploration for oil, coal, and gas in and around Ireland?

Seconly, this will play into the circular logic fallacies that so called "Greens" use to beat the nuclear industry with. Like claiming that nuclear plants are too expensive to build, while tying up builders in lawsuits to the point where they spend more time and money in the courts than in construction (like what happened to Britain's only modern reactor, Sizewell

Similarly, this looks like a nice move to screw up the Uranium supply chain so that other Greens elsewhere can say "there's not enough Uranium for a nuclear programme."

I'm beginning to seriously regret mentioning a Green candidate highly on my vote earlier this year.

gbh

It's easy to be a tree hugging idealist when you are in opposition and don't have your hands on the levers of power. The Greens were opposed to everything when they were in opposition. Development, landfill, incineration, roads, nuclear power. Unfortunately being in government you have to accept certain realities, or real politik as its sometimes called.

dras

Hi SeanW

Although I agree with your general sentiment it is important that other readers realise the realities of uranium exploration and mining. I am no expert in uranium but it is clear that Ireland is no world-centre for its production and anything found here worth mining would not add much to the global supply - other countries such as Canada, Australia, South Africa, Namibia, etc are the big players.

You ask if E Ryan opposes exploration for other energy sources? His recent comments indicate that he views acceptance of licence applications implies permission for extraction. This would appear that he accepts the realities of the situation, however grudgingly. However, with the new increased royalty schemes for oil and gas, it appears that he would have no problem spending the money that the government would get from development of new finds. We should note well that the stuff isn't just lying around for us to pump into our cars. Significant technologies, engineering, money and risks are involved in oil exploration. Do people really expect that oil companies are going to spend millions in exploration for no return?

Exploration for uranium would be quite a slow business and would have taken several years to find something worth mining (if it were there). Any financial benefits to the local community would have been quite small (to negligible) for the most part unless a mine was built.

The uranium supply chain, like most commodities, will look after itself, i.e. normal supply and demand pressures will apply. When no-one wants it and/or stocks are high then prices are low. If lots of people want it and/or stocks are low then prices are high. In the latter scenario, high prices drive further exploration for new deposits (or re-opening of old, once-uneconomic mines). Let's not fall into the trap of thinking that no more uranium exists in the world.

As for the nuclear power debate, well that's less black and white. I personally think that E Ryan has stifled debate on the matter by taking this unilateral decision. He notes the hypocrisy of allowing potential extraction of uranium here for use abroad when he would oppose nuclear power here. Does he accept that grid connection via Northern Ireland into the UK system is, in essence, allowing "nuclear" electricity here?

I would end by reminding everyone that "it if it's not grown, it has to be mined." Where do people think the stuff comes from to make that new car/diamond ring/petrol/bricks/knife and fork that you're eating your dinner with? Are we saying that it's okay for it all to come from Africa, where corrupt governments cream off the proceeds to fund genocide and Swiss retirement homes? From China? - where environmental and safety issues are often poorly observed? Or will we get real and accept our responsibilities as end-users; let's allow these things to be produced in our own backyard where we can make sure things are all done to good environmental and safety standards. This also allows economic benefits to small, rural communities (like in Donegal) and governments through VAT, corporation tax and royalties. Security of supply will also be an important benefit.

Where did the metal for E Ryan's bike come from?

An Ri rua

dras wrote: »

Hi SeanW

Although I agree with your general sentiment it is important that other readers realise the realities of uranium exploration and mining. I am no expert in uranium but it is clear that Ireland is no world-centre for its production and anything found here worth mining would not add much to the global supply - other countries such as Canada, Australia, South Africa, Namibia, etc are the big players.

You ask if E Ryan opposes exploration for other energy sources? His recent comments indicate that he views acceptance of licence applications implies permission for extraction. This would appear that he accepts the realities of the situation, however grudgingly. However, with the new increased royalty schemes for oil and gas, it appears that he would have no problem spending the money that the government would get from development of new finds. We should note well that the stuff isn't just lying around for us to pump into our cars. Significant technologies, engineering, money and risks are involved in oil exploration. Do people really expect that oil companies are going to spend millions in exploration for no return?

Exploration for uranium would be quite a slow business and would have taken several years to find something worth mining (if it were there). Any financial benefits to the local community would have been quite small (to negligible) for the most part unless a mine was built.

The uranium supply chain, like most commodities, will look after itself, i.e. normal supply and demand pressures will apply. When no-one wants it and/or stocks are high then prices are low. If lots of people want it and/or stocks are low then prices are high. In the latter scenario, high prices drive further exploration for new deposits (or re-opening of old, once-uneconomic mines). Let's not fall into the trap of thinking that no more uranium exists in the world.

As for the nuclear power debate, well that's less black and white. I personally think that E Ryan has stifled debate on the matter by taking this unilateral decision. He notes the hypocrisy of allowing potential extraction of uranium here for use abroad when he would oppose nuclear power here. Does he accept that grid connection via Northern Ireland into the UK system is, in essence, allowing "nuclear" electricity here?

I would end by reminding everyone that "it if it's not grown, it has to be mined." Where do people think the stuff comes from to make that new car/diamond ring/petrol/bricks/knife and fork that you're eating your dinner with? Are we saying that it's okay for it all to come from Africa, where corrupt governments cream off the proceeds to fund genocide and Swiss retirement homes? From China? - where environmental and safety issues are often poorly observed? Or will we get real and accept our responsibilities as end-users; let's allow these things to be produced in our own backyard where we can make sure things are all done to good environmental and safety standards. This also allows economic benefits to small, rural communities (like in Donegal) and governments through VAT, corporation tax and royalties. Security of supply will also be an important benefit.

Where did the metal for E Ryan's bike come from?

Dras, a rare common sense view on these boards. Yes, opposition ave a duty and ministers in power have a duty. And there may be grey areas and also clear conflicts in that transition. Real Politik. Exactly.