The Government will consider its position carefully before deciding on whether to take legal action against plans for a new nuclear power plant in England, Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has told the Dáil.
The European Commission yesterday gave the green light for the UK government to underwrite the €20bn cost of building the Hinkley plant in Somerset, 240km from the Irish coast.
Labour TD Joe Costello raised his concerns during this afternoon's Topical Issues debate.
He said yesterday's news came as a surprise following 25 years without the construction of new nuclear plants in the UK.
Mr Costello encouraged the Government to join the Austrian authorities in taking legal action in the European Court of Justice over the state subsidy the British government is giving for the construction of the new plant.
Taking questions on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Varadkar said that it was not necessarily the case that Ireland could join Austria in its legal action.
He said Ireland needed to consider its own strategy and when the commission's decision was published the Government would consider its position carefully.
