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

The objective of the Environmental Protection Agency's research is to establish if shale gas exploration involving the use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can be carried out in a manner that will not cause significant environmental pollution, to identify all possible environmental risks associated with fracking, to ascertain if these risks are manageable and to identify best practice with respect to environmental protection for the use of hydraulic fracturing technique for the exploration and extraction of shale gas. It is essential.

Everybody on both sides of the House would agree that everything must be considered. It can only happen, if it can ever happen, if it is deemed to be environmentally safe. It is vital that the full spectrum of potential environmental and human health issues is independently considered, and the results of scientific research must be published. That is the sole and only objective of this proposition from the EPA. It will be 2015 at least before we have those results, but when we do, we can have a full and proper debate based on all the facts in all jurisdictions where fracking is taking place.

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