Analysis: fears about nuclear fallout and radiaton poisoning in 2001 produced one of the most infamous Irish radio interviews of all time
Eight months since the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, the 'special military operation' (as the war is still referred to by the Kremlin) is not proceeding as Vladimir Putin planned. Determined Ukrainian efforts have not only prevented an outright Russian victory, but recent counter-offensives have liberated swathes of territory from Moscow's forces.
Additionally, Putin has again issued veiled threats to unleash nuclear weapons if the war continues to go against him. This threat, together with risks of damage to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in south-eastern Ukraine, has heightened fears of radiation poisoning. In response, the Government in Kyiv made urgent requests for potassium iodine tablets. Also known as ‘stable iodine’, ingestion helps reduce human absorption of radioactive iodine when exposed to nuclear radiation. Assistance from the European Union and friendly nations was swift, with a donation of more than five million tablets quickly pledged.
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From RTÉ News, residents near Zaporizhzhia power plant in UKraine have been supplied with iodine tablets over radiation fears
Societal concerns are not limited to the conflict areas. In neighbouring Poland, publicised plans for future distribution of stable iodine in response to a nuclear incident in Ukraine prompted many citizens to purchase tablets privately. Much further north, in Finland – which recently opted to jettison years of neutrality and join NATO – pharmacies have been denuded of iodine stocks by a nervous populace.
Public responses in Ireland to Putin’s nuclear sabre-rattling have been muted. Distance from the war and complacency regarding our defence capabilities (or lack thereof) may be factors. Coupled with these is the often unacknowledged, but very real, de facto NATO shield that we enjoy – a form of ‘security without subsidy’ that has benefited us since the 1940s. For some, however, the current tragic situation in Ukraine will spark memories of past Irish concerns of a nuclear incident – and of a minister’s infamous interview in 2001.
The terrorist attack on New York in September 2001 prompted Western invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, initiated a global ‘war on terror’ and resulted in significant security adaptations to worldwide air travel that still affect passengers today. In Ireland, it also sparked concerns about potential attacks. Our ostensible military neutrality made us an unlikely direct target, but our proximity to the United Kingdom (a US ally and member of NATO), meant that Ireland still faced risks. It was widely thought that a 9/11 type attack on the Sellafield nuclear plant across the Irish Sea could result in radiation exposure along Ireland’s east coast. Following the attack on New York then, Irish commentators asked how would we react?
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From RTÉ Archives, Marian Finucane's full interview with Junior Minister for Energy Joe Jacob about iodine tablets and the National Energency Plan from RTÉ Radio 1 in September 2001
In late-September that year, the Government announced a review of the state’s National Emergency Plan, prompting researchers on RTÉ Radio 1's Marian Finucane Show to contact various departments for clarification. Answers proved difficult to obtain. Eventually, the Minister of State at the Department of Public Enterprise with special responsibility for Energy, Fianna Fail’s Joe Jacob, made himself available to Finucane to answer questions.
The outcome proved concerning and comedic in equal measure. Jacob’s initial praise of the Emergency Plan appeared competent, if a little heavy in what is now colloquially known as ‘academese’. However, pressure mounted once the skilful Finucane probed him on specifics: In the event of a chemical attack ‘what happens?’ In the event of a biological attack ‘what would happen now?’ If ‘something dreadful of a biological or chemical nature happened in Ireland’, what would we do now?’
With no specific answers, Jacob parried by assuring listeners that ‘mechanisms were in place’ or that ‘public awareness campaign would be triggered’. Finally, in response to the proposed ‘awareness campaign’, Finucane observed: ‘Does the public not need to be aware of what to do before an attack happens?’
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Late Debate, Lise Hand remembers Marian Finucane's interview with Joe Jacob about his plan to protect the Irish people in the event of a nuclear incident.
As the broadcaster repeatedly probed, Jacob pivoted to the ‘nuclear’ threat, seeking to quell any ‘alarmistic vibrations’ due to our proximity to Sellafield. Perhaps offering the minister some redemption by focussing on an area he was more familiar with, Finucane asked: ‘If I heard…that something had crashed into Sellafield now…what would we do now?’
Poor Joe was not ready for this either. His generalised references to ‘the plan’, the ‘new plan’, the ‘updated plan’, the ‘state of the art plan’, and finally the ‘draft plan’ to be issued ‘in weeks’, cut little ice with Finucane. ‘Yeah, but what would we do now?’, she pushed. Joe referenced ‘an emergency response co-ordination committee…’ to assess the situation.
‘Yeah, but what would you do now?’, the broadcaster again inquired. And just as the circular questioning appeared destined to ‘fission’ forever, Joe highlighted the ‘fact sheet’ and the ‘iodine tablets’. Now we really had meltdown!
'I have it in my hand, Marian!'
Answers ‘will be on my fact sheet which will be in every home in Ireland weeks from now’, said Joe. ‘But tell me now’, implored Marian. ‘We would tell people’, Joe responded, ‘they would know from this famous fact sheet I’m talking about’.
‘But tell me [now] what to do?!’, asked Marian, ‘do I tell [listeners] to stay indoors?’ Joe concurred: ‘"Sheltering" is the terminology we use…and we would be talking about iodine tablets’.
‘How do we get our iodine tablets?’, Marian inquired. ‘The fact sheet’ will inform you, replied Joe. Marian queried whether Joe knew what was on the ‘fact sheet’. ‘I have it in my hand, Marian!’, chortled Joe.
So then ‘tell me! You have the factsheet…how do I get my iodine?’, a near exasperated Finucane playfully demanded. Finally, Joe outlined that the Department of Health would establish ‘centres’, to distribute stable iodine, in the event of a nuclear emergency.
As RTÉ journalist Brian Dowling later remarked, the interview was undoubtedly ‘one of the best pieces of radio for a long, long time’. Though a source of much hilarity for political commentators, it nevertheless concerned many ordinary listeners. Enter then Minister for Health, Micheál Martin, who was deployed to bat for an embarrassed Government. He assured the nation that adequate supplies of iodine tablets were stored in all health board areas.
While Martin’s typically measured tones likely soothed fears, it subsequently emerged he was poorly advised by his department. Many boards had no iodine stocks whatsoever and many were actually holding expired tablets issued in the early 1990s.
A speedy apology from Martin (who understandably had relied on information from civil servants) and an assurance from the Department of Health that new supplies would be obtained, did little to obviate either serious or sardonic criticism of the Government. Opposition TDs demanded that Jacob be sacked for incompetence. Waggish commentators opined the ‘Minister for Disaster’ gave new meaning to the Jacob’s Awards (a reference to longstanding awards for broadcasting achievement).
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From RTÉ Archives, Vivienne Traynor reports for RTÉ News on the issue of iodine tablets to every household in the country in 2002
It took another five months before the Emergency Plan arrived, and a further three months before every family was finally issued a box of iodine tablets in June 2002. By the time this batch expired in 2008, the Department of Health had decided they were unlikely to be useful in the Irish context, and no additional tablets were issued to households.
And what of Minister Jacob? Despite a disastrous radio interview and swathes of commentators joking at his expense, government colleagues rallied. Then Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern said that Jacob knew ‘more about Sellafield and nuclear than anybody else in Government’.
Jacob was fortunate in the timing of his gaffe. If his interview had occurred just a few years later, Irish social media would have been replete with memes involving confused ‘fact sheets’ and geriatric iodine tablets. Not all have forgotten, of course. As recently as last year, in response to another minister’s difficult radio interview, one veteran political commentator lamented: ‘Come back, Joe Jacob. All is forgiven.’ A salutary lesson: never go on radio without having all your facts on a clearly legible ‘sheet’.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
