| Ryanair chief in nuclear power uproar
RYANAIR boss Michael O’Leary has come under fire following controversial
comments in support of nuclear power in Ireland.
The Green Party in the North of Ireland has slammed the outspoken budget
airline boss after he urged Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to think seriously
about switching the Republic to nuclear energy.
O’Leary said that if nuclear was not adopted the Republic would
soon be importing power from Britain.
He said: “If Bertie Ahern really wants to go green, then the biggest
polluter in this country is the Electricity Supply Board which is still
running coal and peat-fired power stations.
He added: “If you want environmental solutions and if any politician
in this country has any commitment to reducing Ireland’s emissions,
then we have to close down these coal- and peat-fired power stations and
let’s go nuclear.
“I don’t care who builds the power stations because (otherwise)
we, in the next number of years, will be importing power from Britain.”
Ulster’s newly-elected Green Party MLA Brian Wilson who took one
of the six North Down seats said: “I would be totally opposed to
any concept of nuclear anywhere in Ireland. There are plenty of other
alternatives, renewables in particular.
“There is a lot of potential for wind farms and tidal power on this
island.
“I do have concerns about pollution from the big power stations
that burn coal and peat but the answer is not nuclear. Even converting
to gas would be an improvement.”
The Ryanair magnate said that in the last 10 years of power Mr Ahern had
done nothing about the power crisis.
He said: “We’re led by a man who is opposed to nuclear power
but has no other solutions.” |
