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

It is important to emphasise that the EPA is independent of the Government. Instead of reading out the formal response I will take up the point made by Deputy Clare Daly. A decision was taken in 2011 to inform ourselves as policy agents and as legislators on the best thing to do on foot of the research and based on the best evidence available. I have taken a decision to approach the steering committee to produce an interim report. Deputy Clare Daly is correct that it was not part of the original thought process but it is important. The original timeframe was to have phases 1 and 2 completed by July 2016 and to dovetail them into a report in 2016. That is not going to happen. A tendering process has not been initiated for phase 2. In light of that, I am asking the steering committee to examine the significant body of evidence produced and to draw up an interim report and that will give us time to take stock of the information gathered. Deputy Daly indicated in her question that 50% of research on fracking has been done since 2012 but we need to evaluate, take stock and produce an interim report to consider the information that has been garnered in the time afforded in the first instance.

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