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

Prior to the start of the EPA research project, I had a number of meetings even during the summer. I met representatives of groups from Sligo. The Minister, Deputy White, and I had a meeting in Dublin with a group from Cavan County Council and Leitrim County Council. There are obvious concerns and I take them very seriously.

While they exercised their right to make an application, the fundamental factor is that an EPA study has been initiated. I will list a few of the stakeholders to show that this is not just a tokenistic exercise. It is not simply a case of a group compiling a report and setting out a series of recommendations, but not being listened to. I will give the Senator an idea of the composition of this group, which operates on a North-South basis. It includes representatives of Queen's University Belfast, the British Geological Survey, the University College Dublin geophysics group, the University of Ulster geophysics research group and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies seismology and geodynamics group.

My confidence in the research is borne out of the time that has gone into the preparation of the survey initiated by the Environmental Protection Agency. I have asked my officials to examine the possibility of providing for something, perhaps next summer, that would give the Members of both Houses an update on the research findings in areas like health and the environment. I do not want to call it a mid-term review. I have asked my officials to consider that. They will set about a process in that regard. The important thing is that I have asked the people who are leading this survey, which will last for a minimum of two years and possibly for longer, to take the time to look at it properly. We are talking about what could hypothetically happen down the line. I am not going to presuppose what will come out of this survey. The important thing is for us to continue the debate and the dialogue. We need to feed into this process. I know it is happening at a community level. I will continue to engage in dialogue with people at local council and community levels who may have fears and concerns.

We have to look at the cross-Border institutional mechanism that is in place. I refer to the North-South Ministerial Council. This is as much a North-South issue as it is an issue for Leitrim, south Donegal, Cavan or Sligo. Inbuilt political mechanisms have been available since 1998. It would be important to get this issue on the agenda of the North-South Ministerial Council as soon as possible. Given that we have a mechanism involving the universities in Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland equivalent of the Environmental Protection Agency, there is no point in having different narratives coming out from political parties in Northern Ireland and from political parties in Southern Ireland. A natural North-South dialogue is going on here. I encourage Senator Mooney, who has experience in the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and has built relationships with his colleagues in Northern Ireland, to continue this conversation on a North-South level. The Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, which I have experience of as a former Chairman, is another mechanism that would enable this conversation to continue.

I reiterate that the two companies that have been mentioned had the right to submit applications for exploration licences. Those applications will not be looked at by me or by my colleague, the Minister, Deputy White, while the Environmental Protection Agency study is ongoing. No decision will be made and no licences will be looked at.