Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

Will the Minister of State clarify whether the licensing procedure will be suspended until the research in this regard is available? Does he not think it is bizarre that young couples cannot build in County Leitrim because of the EPA standards relating to septic tanks, yet he is considering causing mini-earthquakes that could have an impact on ground-water?

Is he aware that a number of reputable scientists in the US have argued publicly that insufficient scientific data are available there, the home of hydraulic fracturing, to make a balanced decision? The journal, Scientific American, recently published a report that the disposal of the waste water deep underground in Ohio caused an earthquake, which registered 4 on the Richter scale. Even in the context of using zero chemical hydraulic fracturing in Ireland, mini-earthquakes will be caused in areas where the detail of ground-water is unknown and the impact of pumping the waste water back underground is not knows. Should this process not be suspended through a clear indication from Government until all the data are available?

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