Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the question. To assist Government bodies in making informed decisions about future licensing and management of any proposal for the use of hydraulic fracturing as part of an unconventional gas exploration or extraction project, comprehensive knowledge of the potential impacts of this process on the environment and human health is required. On behalf of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the EPA appointed CDM Smith consultants last year to undertake this programme of scientific research, which is to be carried out over a minimum period of two years. The key questions that this research programme must answer are whether unconventional gas exploration and extraction projects and operations can be carried out in the island of Ireland while also protecting the environment and human health; and what constitutes best environmental practice in relation to such projects and operations. To this end, the scientific research programme is based on a consideration of existing baseline data with respect to ground water, air and seismicity and the potential implications and mitigations that are required to be considered in order to understand the possible environmental impacts of using this technology.

While it is not anticipated that any interim reports will be made available before the final report is published, I have sought a progress update report on the research programme from the EPA, which I expect to receive shortly. I confirm again that no decision will be made on any proposal for the use of hydraulic fracturing as part of any unconventional gas exploration or extraction programme until there has been time to consider the outcome of the EPA research.

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