Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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269. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide any preliminary update on research directed at examining the potential environmental and human health impacts of hydraulic fracturing, commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency; the position of the Government on hydraulic fracturing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31212/16]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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In coming to a view whether unconventional gas exploration and extraction could be permitted in Ireland, it was considered necessary in the first instance to establish if this technology could be carried out in a manner that would not negatively impact on the environment and human health. Having consulted publicly on the terms of reference for a research programme, the issues identified on foot of this process have been included in the scope of the research programme being administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with oversight from a broad based Steering Committee that includes my Department.  

At the beginning of this year, the Steering Committee took the view that it was an appropriate time to reflect on the overall timeline for the delivery of the research programme. The original timeline envisaged that the entire programme, including work carried out under a supplementary tender, would conclude by late 2016. However, the Committee considered that, were the supplementary tender process to be commenced, the overall research programme would now report in 2018 at the earliest.  

As the request for tenders through which the CDM Smith led consortium was appointed did not envisage an interim report, a revised scope of work was agreed by the Committee with the consortium to combine all of the work to date into a meaningful synthesis report. It is anticipated that this report will be completed and published by year-end.  

Throughout this process, no application to engage in unconventional gas exploration has been received in my Department, nor would any such application, if submitted, be considered until the process has concluded and there has been time to consider its  findings.