The Workers’ Party are the first party on the island of Ireland to endorse the development of nuclear energy in Ireland. The decision was taken at our recent Ard Fheis in Dublin, following two years of internal party discussion and debate on the issue.

Speaking on the matter, party representative
Garrett Greene said:
“The vote at our Ard Fheis was an example of the type of radical action required to tackle the climate crisis. Members listened to science, looked at evidence, and took a decision which is absolutely essential if we wish to decarbonise Ireland.”

“For years now, on the one hand, fossil fuel industries have held decarbonisation back by lobbying for greenwashing of old fuels like gas, while on the other hand, so-called environmentalists have pushed a fantasy of immediate and total transition to wind, solar and other non-nuclear renewables. That lack of realism was demonstrated by the increase in coal burning in Germany after it closed its nuclear plants in favour of (proposed, but never realised) an expansion of non-nuclear renewables.”

Greene continued:
“Tackling the climate crisis will require vision and realism. Nuclear power provides the technology to rapidly decarbonise Ireland in a way which is clean and, in the long term, vastly more affordable than sky rocketing gas and oil prices. We cannot afford to waste a decade on a pipe dream for which there is no scientific basis.”

“Non-nuclear renewables have been given decades to work, and have received billions of euro of research funding, but are no closer to solving the clean energy crisis. Meanwhile, countries such as France which do rely heavily on nuclear energy have the lowest carbon emissions in Europe.”

“The Workers’ Party also passed a motion calling for all energy companies to be taken into national ownership, saying public ownership of nuclear power facilities would be vital to maintaining safety standards.”

Greene concluded:
“The greed of the world’s super-wealthy has prevented any movement towards decarbonisation. It is time for us to take the lead, and take our future out of the hands of the fossil fuel industry.”

“A nuclear future is Ireland’s only path towards a green future.”