Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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602. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to keep Ireland free of hydraulic fracturing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42763/15]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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A multi-agency trans-boundary programme of research on the potential impacts on the environment and human health from UGEE projects is under way and is being administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and co-funded by the EPA, my Department and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, with oversight from a broad based Steering Committee. As has been outlined on a number of occasions, no decision will be made on any proposal for the use of hydraulic fracturing, as part of an Unconventional Gas Exploration & Extraction (UGEE) project, until there has been time to consider the outcome of this major research programme.

The key questions that this research programme, which is to be carried out over a minimum period of two years, needs to answer are:

- Can unconventional gas exploration and extraction projects and operations be carried out in the island of Ireland whilst also protecting the environment and human health, and

- What is ‘best environmental practice’ in relation to such projects and operations?

To this end this scientific Joint Research Programme (JRP) is based on the consideration of existing baseline data with respect to groundwater, air and seismicity and the potential implications and mitigations that are required to be considered in order to understand the possible environmental impacts of using this technology and whether or not it can be undertaken in an environmentally protective manner in accordance with the requirements of environmental law.

I can once again confirm that no decision will be made on any proposal for the use of hydraulic fracturing, as part of any UGEE programme, until there has been time to consider the outcome of this Joint Research Programme.