Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 425: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the proposed method to extract natural gas from the North-West Carboniferous Basin (details supplied) and the Clare Basin, namely, hydraulic fracturing or fracking, has been linked to widespread health problems, water pollution and environmental damage in numerous cases in the US, Canada and Australia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21990/11]

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 426: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views, in view of the fact that hydraulic fracturing or fracking has now been banned by the French and South African Governments and a number of US states, on whether hydraulic fracturing or fracking should now be placed under a moratorium here pending a thorough investigation of the consequences of its use in other states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21991/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 425 and 426 together.

I can inform the Deputy that I have not received applications for, nor licensed the use of hydraulic fracturing in the North West Carboniferous Basin or the Clare Basin and accordingly the issue of a moratorium on this drilling technology does not arise.

Earlier this year, my Department awarded two year onshore Petroleum Licensing Options to three companies over parts of the North West Carboniferous Basin and the Clare Basin. Exploration drilling is specifically excluded under these authorisations.

The Licensing Options are designed to allow the companies assess the natural gas potential of the acreage largely based on desktop studies of existing data from previous petroleum exploration activity. Both areas have been subject to petroleum exploration and drilling since the early 1960s and while some natural gas potential was identified, it was not considered commercially viable at that time.

Exploration activity under these authorisations is at an early stage and there is no certainty that it will lead to applications for follow-on exploration licences that would be required before exploration wells could be drilled. In the event hydraulic fracturing was proposed as part of a possible future exploration or production programme, then that activity would be subject to an environmental impact assessment, including an appropriate public consultation phase.