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

I thank the Deputy again. He mentioned earlier that hydraulic fracking is outside the scope of this Bill. For that reason, I will not be accepting the amendment. The Deputy has constantly referred to the duration and scope of the study that is under way. It is important that the debate continue, and I am certainly open to any opportunity to continue it. The EPA has been tasked with responsibility in this area. Given the two main pillars, namely, the environment and human health, it is important that all the various options, including consulting universities, which is occurring both in Northern Ireland and here, be explored. There ought to be a full, frank and open approach to determining strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and the factors that are detrimental to health and the environment. It is important that space be made available to do that work.

I have been doing my own background research on geology. We have very complex geology in this country. In the regions the Deputy is always mentioning, there is a very complex rock formation. Without pre-empting the report, I believe from anecdotal evidence that the complex geography in itself may not lend itself to the activity in question.

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