Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the support of the Acting Chairperson on that. In terms of banning the importation of fracked gas, the wording in amendment No. 37 was drafted based on extensive legal opinion that showed the proposed statutory ban would be compatible with EU, EFTA and WTO trade rules. I thank the efforts and work of activists from Safety Before LNG, and others, who have been working so hard on this issue. We are serving up an easy win for the Minister to deliver a key demand of the climate movement, to make the State a leader on climate action and to ban the importation of fracked gas.

A ban on fracked gas is a no-brainer. Just over a month ago, the International Energy Agency released a report stating that we do not need further investment in new oil, gas and coal projects. The State has already banned fracking in this jurisdiction based on human rights, environmental and public health grounds. A ban in the North is also forthcoming. It is difficult to countenance the hypocrisy of saying that fracking is intolerable inside our borders but we are willing to subject people across the globe to it. The name of the organisation doing so much work in this area, Not Here Not Anywhere, encapsulates the idea better than I ever could. We need a ban on the importation of fracked gas. Can the Minister outline exactly why he has not accepted a legislative ban on fracking imports given the reason provided for this decision, that the EU treaties do not allow it, has been debunked?