Ireland could launch a legal challenge to a new nuclear plant that is to be built in south west England, just 240 kilometres away from our coast.

The plant in Somerset was given the go-ahead by Europe yesterday.

The plans had met with opposition at European Union level, with concerns that the funding was in breach of European law.

However in a vote, EU Commissioners found that revised plans to subsidise the construction and operation of the plant were in line with EU state aid rules.

Previously, An Taisce lost a legal challenge to the development.

It had claimed that the views of Irish people were not taken into consideration, despite the nuclear power plant being nearer to the coast of Ireland than it is to Leeds.

Austria is to mount a legal challenge to the €20.3bn development at Hinkley Point on the basis it could breach state aid rules.

And Health Minister Leo Varadkar has been asked in the Dáil if Ireland could join that challenge.