Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We submitted our amendment No. 4 over our concern about offshore fracking and its potential dangers, which has been echoed by other Deputies here. Fracking offshore could be more dangerous than fracking onshore.

I want to be clear that our party wants to stop fracking throughout the Thirty-two Counties and offshore. However, we want to approach this carefully. Obviously, the immediate danger and problem is onshore within this State, where there is a particular threat in the counties of Sligo and Leitrim. On that basis, and in order to not delay the legislation, I am prepared to withdraw amendment No. 4. There are legal issues, definitions and other matters that need to be teased out, all of which would take time. We should move on to that work once we get this legislation through and we can then make further amendments to the petroleum Acts in order to do that. We will certainly move on to that once this legislation passed. However, the immediate task is to try to secure a position whereby fracking within the Twenty-six Counties is banned completely. I want to be clear that we want to ensure fracking for shale gas is not allowed offshore and that we need to move on to that issue once we get this legislation through. Nonetheless, I believe it would be mistake to hold up this Bill for months or years to tease out the issues around offshore fracking and its potential dangers. On that basis, I will withdraw amendment No. 4. We will move back to the issue of offshore when this legislation is passed.

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