David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I share the previous speaker's concern about CETA. This was debated in the House and the whole arrangement was discarded by Seanad Éireann, which voted against it. This was largely because of the court structures involved and the fact that commercial entities could sue. The public good, the public interest and the welfare of the people was regarded as less significant than the profit motives of the big international companies. In conjunction with my colleague, I want the Minister of State to give reassurance that the fracking companies could not use this mechanism to take on Ireland.

The fluctuations in the world oil industry have rendered fracking less significant than it was previously. We all remember seeing on television the people in Canada switching on their water and their tap bursting into flames. It was very interesting to watch it. Fracking is a very violent intervention in the natural world. The United States of America has its Environmental Protection Agency, which is a laugh. President Trump has installed as his Secretary of State the CEO of Exxon Mobil who was against the whole idea of environmental protection. Trump is a complete clown and he has no interest whatever in protecting the environment.

I welcome this Bill but I have certain reservations about it. The original Bill was introduced by Deputy Tony McLoughlin, and we should all be grateful to him for so doing. This Bill was sent for pre-legislative scrutiny to the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment, which spent a considerable time on it. The committee wrote a report for the Dáil suggesting various amendments and so on. What does the Government do? It produces its own Bill, completely ignoring the recommendations. The committee members might as well not have bothered doing it. That the Government completely ignored the committee's recommendations is very worrying.

There are a number of aspects of the Bill that are difficult. The definition of "hydraulic fracturing" is narrow and weak. It allows for the possibility of the fracking industry developing new techniques that are not covered by this legislation. The definition of "internal waters" is inadequate. It does not cover service water or groundwater. There is a proposed sanction of a six month prison sentence for offenders, but where is the policing mechanism? There is no policing mechanism at all, which is also worrying. There is an absence of a definition of "land". There is a very comprehensive definition of land in the EU habitats directive. Why could this not have been put into the legislation? Internal waters are listed but it does not specify groundwater at all. This is also worrying. Many people have lobbied me on this matter and they have raised these concerns. It is important we get the ban on fracking because without it, these operations will continue in places such as Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo, Clare and other parts of Ireland. We must be very careful.

Climate change was mentioned. Today is a glorious day. It is heavenly and everyone is enjoying it but in Ireland, a small island in the north corner of Europe, we are enjoying Mediterranean temperatures. The year 2016 was the warmest year on record.A record temperature was recorded on both land and sea. It is wonderful for those of us who want to enjoy it but it is very worrying. As a result, the state of New York has banned fracking since 2014 because the US Department of Health and Human Services found that the risks associated with fracking were dangerous to people's health.

The Sustainable Water Network, SWAN, in its report shows the risks of water contamination related to unconventional extraction techniques such as fracking. The report reads:

Due to the many documented impacts on water attributed to hydraulic fracturing for shale gas, combined with the absence of a coherent effective governance and regulatory framework for the industry in Ireland, it is the Sustainable Water Network position that hydraulic fracturing should not be permitted in Ireland ...

It is SWAN's view that the carrying out of hydraulic fracturing and other shale-gas activities in Ireland is not consistent with the achievement of good status for our surface waters or ground waters, nor with the prevention of deterioration in water status, and therefore should not be permitted in the context of meeting EU Water Framework Directive and Groundwater Directive objectives.

In terms of the question of spills and chemicals, the information that we have gathered already is extremely worrying. Research has found that "spills of additives and hydraulic fracturing fluids", which are chemicals, "during the chemical mixing stage of the hydraulic fracturing water cycle have occurred and have reached and impacted drinking water resources." We have direct evidence that the introduction of chemicals into this process has actually contaminated water sources. That is a very worrying point.

The research continues, "Spills were caused most often by equipment failure or human error." This is a company with a complete lack of monitoring. It does not monitor the spills at all. How do we know where we are? I can tell what happened to the people of Bradford County, Pennsylvania.