James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegation from the EPA. This is a controversial issue and the first I heard of it was from media outlets which referred to the mid-west region. When I poked around a little more, I found out that it was to be undertaken in County Leitrim and west Cavan in my part of the world. Are there plans for an extension into other parts of the mid-west region?

The problems with groundwater and the seepage of chemicals have been covered by other Deputies and Senators. It is a serious issue as there is a huge number of deep wells across the region. People depend on such wells for their supply of drinking water, as well as water for animals and domestic use, etc. This development would have a huge effect. I have seen seepage from silage pits destroy deep wells perhaps half or three quarters of a mile away. One well had to be closed for ten or 12 years. It had to be pumped out and various chemicals used to get it right again but only for slop water. It was never used to supply drinking water again.

Fracking, or gas exploration, involves the bursting of rock. When we start to interfere with the bowels of the earth, we do not know what damage we will cause, even several miles away. I have a genuine interest in this issue, as do people to whom I talk. It is important that we avoid the cultural and landscape rape of rural areas, given that there is a tourism product being developed in the mid-west and across the midlands. We do not want to see industrial waste sites being developed.

As was said, there are so many restrictions on people who wish to build their homes, including once-off housing, in the west. This is contradicted by what is happening in this instance. When Mr. Lynott was replying to Deputy Michael Colreavy, he spoke about the involvement in the planning process of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, the EPA, An Bord Pleanála, etc., but he did not mention a role for the local authority. Will there be a role for the local authority in the planning process?

What is needed is an independent review before anything commences. There are a lot of ifs and buts because I know what is taking place is a desk study of the region. Other Deputies have dealt with the issue of CDM Smith. Will it share the results of the study with fracking interests?

I would like to know what the role of Achilles Procurement is in the entire process. Does it have any link or working relationship with fracking interests? Who decided on its role in the project? Is there not a possible conflict of interest? I understand Achilles Procurement has been retained by the EPA on a framework contract to provide services in advance and that it has been facilitated in the tender process and so on. Is that true?

Will Achilles Procurement be involved in the review of study results on an ongoing basis? Will it also be involved in reviewing CDM Smith's work or vice versa?