Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Later today there will be a demonstration outside Leinster House and a briefing in the audiovisual room on hydraulic fracturing, so-called fracking. My colleague, Senator Mooney, has championed the movement against fracking for many years in the House and it pertains specifically to the north west where there are plans by various companies to engage in fracking for their own gain. The citizens of that part of the country are very concerned about the economic and, more important, the environmental impact of this practice in the north west. There is something of a crisis of confidence in the Environmental Protection Agency which has appointed a company, CDM Smith, to investigate the effects of fracking. Unfortunately, this company is linked very strongly with the commercial side of fracking and so we in the north west do not have any confidence in this company's involvement with a so-called impartial investigation of the environmental impact of fracking in our part of the country.

We are very concerned about this as the industry is controlled by profiteers who ultimately do not care about or have an interest in the people or the environment in the north west. For this reason I encourage anybody who is available today to attend the demonstration and the presentation in the audiovisual room, join the support and voice the concerns of the people of the north west. They are concerned about their environment, particularly the quality of the air and the water table. Ultimately, the people of the north west will not accept fracking. This or the next Government - whoever it takes - should make it clear to these companies that fracking will not be accepted in the north west or any other part of Ireland.