Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I repeat it is an EPA report. It is not a Department report, even though we requested the EPA to carry out the work, and it is up to the EPA to publish it. It is a desk-top study. It is really only a research document looking at what is there at present and bringing that data together.

The EPA intends to commission a further much more detailed report into all aspects of what is called unconventional gas or fracking.

It is, as Deputy Ferris stated, a seismic event anyway by its nature. It fractures. In England, around Blackpool, it caused a mini-earthquake. It was 1.1 to 2 on the Richter scale, which is very small. Nevertheless, it did happen.

The key point is that we must gather all of the science and facts available. One of the important reports that will be coming available at the end of this year is the American Environmental Protection Report into hydraulic fracturing in the United States. That will probably be the benchmark for future studies because they are looking into the issues.

If one looked at the film, "Gasland", one the key images is where a person turns on their tap and lights the water. Recently, the EPA in the United States looked into that and stated that the methane in that water supply was not caused by hydraulic fracturing. This is a fantasy. One might not like to believe it, but that is what they state.

It is terribly important, before anything happens, that all of the full facts are known. As the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, myself and the Department are saying, nothing will happen, and we will not allow anybody to commence production of hydraulic fracturing at this stage, unless and until all of the many and detailed national and international studies are looked at and all of the environmental aspects are detailed and fully examined.

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