Ms Laura Burke:

With regard to geology, Ireland is different from Australia and the United States. This is a prime driver of the research. The role of the Environmental Protection Agency is to protect the environment and science is at the core of all our activities. I hope I was clear in my statement in noting that we did not have information available to us to make a decision on whether this technology could be operated without harming human health or the environment. This is the key purpose of the research, which is taking place at international and European level. A key part of the research we will carry out in conjunction with the other relevant bodies is to examine baseline studies to characterise the existing local environment in Ireland, in other words, to address the issue of local geology and other local issues. We do not want to duplicate research being carried out at European level or in other countries and will instead localise our research in order that we have data on which to make a decision.

The Deputies are correct that compliance with the water framework directive is a key criterion in respect of any of these activities. We cannot permit any activity to undermine Ireland's compliance with European Union obligations to have good water quality. Water is also a significant resource for the country and we cannot undermine it. The research is to obtain a large amount of baseline information on Irish circumstances.

With regard to the impact of the development in north County Leitrim, as I stated, the Environmental Protection Agency is not the only body progressing the relevant research. We have arranged that the steering committee has representatives of the Departments of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Environment, Community and Local Government, the Commission for Energy Regulation, which will also have responsibility for regulation in this area, An Bord Pleanála, the Geological Survey of Ireland and the environment agency in Northern Ireland. All the regulators that would at some stage in the future have a role in regulating the activity in question are included in the steering committee in order that any issue raised, including by the relevant bodies in question, may be addressed. The purpose of the steering committee is to try to pull together all of the bodies which have a role in the context of the research required.

The report of the European Parliament will feed into the research we are conducting. We are very conscious of the findings of this and other reports. It is important to note in the context of the report that it found that thresholds of environmental impact assessment needed to be examined. In the Irish case, environmental impact assessment would be carried out for the exploratory phase. This has been stated by officials from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. With regard to the regulatory framework, Ireland is slightly different from elsewhere in that under the Environmental Protection Agency Act and the integrated pollution prevention and control, IPCC, licensing regime, shale gas exploration is specifically included as an operation that would require a licence. That is not the case in other EU member states.

With regard to links with other environmental agencies, as I indicated, the Environmental Protection Agency is represented on the EU technical working group on shale gas. In addition, members of EPA senior management and I are part of a network of environmental protection agencies throughout Europe in which fracking is being discussed as a key upcoming issue. While we have not yet visited a fracking operation in another country, I am sure such a visit will take place before we make any decision on this activity.