Friday, 15 March, 2002, 15:50 GMT
Postal protest over Sellafield planned


The approval of the MOX plant has provoked anger

Plans for the people of Ireland to bombard Downing Street with postcards in a protest over the Sellafield nuclear power site, have been unveiled.
Campaigners want to send nearly one and a half million postcards to homes in the Republic urging people to send them on to tagets in the UK.

Organisers of the scheme are looking for financial help from the Irish Government and business to allow the the mass postcard protest to go-ahead.

Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern has already offered preliminary support.



The plans for the postcard campaign would need to be examined carefully but as long as it is all legal it would have his backing

Spokesman for Bertie Ahern

A scheme spokesman said: "We are working on trying to establish the campaign which still depends on us being able to pay for it, but we hope it will be up and running soon.

"The idea is that the cards will be delivered to homes in the Republic and people will be urged to send them on to Tony Blair and Prince Charles, as well as to Sellafield itself."

"It is hoped that we will be able to get corporate and government backing for the campaign. Some individuals have already made personal financial commitments."

Contentious issue

The Irish Post Office An Post confirmed it would drop the postcards through 1.3 million homes in the Republic for people to forward to the UK.

Supermarkets and banks will be asked to sell the cards to customers for one euro.

Terrorist target

The commissioning of a new mixed oxide (MOX) reprocessing facility at the end of 2001 caused outrage in the Republic.

Mr Ahern's party, Fianna Fail, itself launched a high profile protest against the nuclear plant towards the end of last year, publishing full page articles in the British press demanding its closure.

A spokesman for Mr Ahern said: "The Taoiseach has made it quite clear that he is opposed to Sellafield and would like to see it closed.

"Obviously the plans for the postcard campaign would need to be examined carefully but as long as it is all legal it would have his backing."



See also:


29 Jan 02 | Northern Ireland
Irish politicians unite in Sellafield row
24 Dec 01 | England
Irish 'ignorant' over Sellafield
17 Dec 01 | Northern Ireland
Irish appeal over nuclear plant
24 Nov 01 | England
Irish PM steps up Sellafield campaign
08 Nov 01 | UK
Q&A: Sellafield's Mox plant
Internet links:


Government of Ireland
BNFL