Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On Question No. 2 on the promotion of fracking at European level, I am sure the Minister of State is very much aware of the lobbying trying to force the issue fracking onto the agenda. We need to be very concerned about what is happening in the Six Counties. If water in County Fermanagh is poisoned, it will not stop at the Border. Poisoned water does not recognise any border. Any person involved in business needs to be able to trust the partners with whom he or she is doing business. It is important to recognise that one of the companies with an exploratory licence here speaks about having extensive data from 13 vertical wells, six of which have been successfully fracked. It does not specify whether they are in the Six Counties or the Twenty-six Counties; the statement was made in the context of the company seeking investors. This is a breach of trust, which means that we need to be very careful when dealing with such companies.

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