The Minister for Foreign Affairs has said the Government remains implacably opposed to Britain's construction of new nuclear plants.
Dermot Ahern was speaking after the British Trade and Industry Secretary said the power plants - to be built by the private sector - would make a significant contribution to Britain's future energy needs.
Alastair Darling told the House of Commons that a mix of energy supply, including renewables together with gas and coal-fired generation, remained essential.
Announcing the outcome of Labour's long-awaited energy review, Mr Darling said, coupled with initiatives to boost energy conservation, the proposals put forward could save up to 25 million tonnes of carbon by 2020 on top of savings already planned.
However, Conservative Party spokesperson Alan Duncan swiftly condemned the Trade Secretary's statement as 'content free' and said he had announced 'almost nothing'.
Mr Duncan said the review contained 'no real policies, no real action, no real decisions'.
The report comes at a crucial time for Britain's nuclear industry - the British taxpayer is already facing a nuclear decommissioning bill in excess of €100 billion.
