Selling the public on nuclear power would take “extensive” work, a Minister has said, adding that he does not think “there would be too many at a public meeting in support of a nuclear reactor”.
Speaking in the Dáil in response to a recent question from Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne, Minister of State at the Department of Energy Timmy Dooley said the Government has “no plans” to pursue nuclear power at present, and suggested that public resistance remains a significant barrier.
The Minister noted that nuclear power is currently prohibited under Irish law, with bans contained in both the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and the Planning and Development Act 2024, which prevent the use of nuclear fission for electricity generation. He said these provisions would need to be replaced as a first step before any plans for domestic nuclear energy could be considered.
He added that there is currently no indication that public opinion supports removing existing legislative bans on nuclear energy, and warned that building support would require a significant effort.
“The reality is that, as things stand today, it is not clear to us that public opinion is in favour of removing those legislative bans on the development of domestic nuclear power plants for electricity in Ireland,” he said.
“Building that majority would require an extensive conversation with the people of Ireland.”
He added: “There have been a lot of conversations about who represents the people of Ireland in recent days. Nonetheless, I think there is probably a consensus across the House that the notion of moving ahead with the introduction of the generation of electricity with a nuclear base to it, regardless of the system, would not gain a social licence in the current climate.”
He also pointed to opposition to existing renewable projects as an indication of the challenges that would face any move towards nuclear energy.
“I am conscious, in my daily life as a representative of the people of Clare, of the pushback that is currently in existence regarding wind energy and the permissions for wind turbines,” he said.
“They are hotly contested, objected to in every possible way and then taken to judicial review. I do not think there would be too many at a public meeting in support of a nuclear reactor, regardless of the setback distance. I think we have a way to go in that regard.”
Dooley said the Government remains focused on renewable energy, particularly wind, and argued that this approach is more suited to Ireland’s resources and timelines.
“Currently, the Department has no plans for the development of nuclear power, including small modular reactors, as part of Ireland’s electricity system,” he said.
“Those provisions would need to be replaced as a first step if we were to plan for the introduction of domestic nuclear fission energy generation.”
He added that the Government is prioritising projects that can deliver energy within existing targets.
“Our efforts are concentrated on capturing wind to bring the electrons ashore,” he said.
“I think we are better concentrating on an area where we have an abundance of electricity off our shoreline. We are developing expertise in that area, and we can bring that on relatively quickly.”
Byrne, who raised the issue, said nuclear energy is already part of Ireland’s energy mix through imports, and argued it should be considered as part of long-term planning.
“The reality is that we are already using nuclear energy in this country, as the Minister of State knows, because we have to import through the interconnector,” he said.
“The level of that import has grown in the past few years from 10% of our energy in 2023, to 15% in 2024, and to 17% in 2025. Of what we are taking already, a lot of the energy is provided through nuclear energy.”
He said that while a shift to nuclear would not happen quickly, it should not be excluded from future strategy.
“I do not believe we are going to see an overnight change,” he said.
“This is not something that is going to happen immediately, but to completely rule out a discussion on using this form of energy is wrong. As part of the long-term strategy for the State, it is something we have to consider.”
Ireland currently has legislative prohibitions on nuclear power under both electricity and planning laws, which would need to be amended before any domestic development could take place.
Public attitudes remain mixed. As reported by The Irish Times in an article published in February, a KPMG survey found that one in three Irish adults supports building nuclear power plants, while opposition remains at about 45%.
The same report indicated a broader softening in public support for energy infrastructure projects, including renewable developments, alongside concerns about cost, environmental impact, and local disruption.
Ireland continues to rely on a combination of domestic renewable generation and imported electricity, including supplies from countries such as France, where nuclear energy forms a significant part of the energy mix.
Recently, Taoiseach Micheál Martin discounted pursuing nuclear power primarily because of the significant upfront investment cost associated with setting it up.