Dáil debates

Thursday, 11 October 2012

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions

Hydraulic Fracturing Policy

2:55 pm

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy referred to the Directorate-General for Energy process. Our process has commenced. Under the previous Fianna Fáil Government, a licensing option was issued, which started the clock in our process. That clock will run until November this year. Then the company in question, Tamboran Resources, must present its work programme and, by February next year, decide whether it will apply for an exploration licence. Such a licence does not allow fracking for commercial exploitation purposes. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, there are national and international concerns about the fracking process. Key issues such as well integrity, the pollution of groundwater, the consequences of leaks and blowouts, fracking fluid leaking into aquifers, the disposal of methane, local geology knowledge, the carbon footprint and so forth must be considered. No decision will be made on commercial fracking until all of these issues are understood and the various studies completed. The earliest we expect the information to be on our desk is 2014. Nothing will happen until this information is available.

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