Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The scary thing is that the evidence is already available for us to be able to say that we really should not go any further. It is not unfair to say that the EPA study was probably compromised from the start. There is no great degree of public confidence in it given the involvement of an oil and gas provider in drawing up the terms of reference and given that some of the contractors are involved in projects which promote fracking. We have to be honest and say there is no political support for this whatsoever. At the same time, substantial bodies of scientific literature indicate serious and elevated hazards to human health.

For all of these reasons there is a need to be vigilant. Yet, we seem to be saying that there is no need to worry, that there is nothing to see and that we can be reassured and everything will be grand. Everything is not grand because we are moving nearer to the destination of this very unpopular health-hazardous practice being developed on this island. Nothing can assuage people of those concerns.

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