The Environmental Pillar welcome the introduction of a bill today to ban fracking in Ireland.
The Environmental Pillar, which is made up of 28 national environmental NGOs, are calling on TDs to support the proposed law which will prohibit the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the exploration or extraction of oil and gas in Ireland and Irish seas.
The bill was brought forward today by Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett and it was developed jointly by An Taisce, Friends of the Earth, and Deputy Boyd Barrett.
‘Fracking threatens our health, our livelihoods, and the future of our planet,’ said Aedín McLoughlin spokesperson for the Environmental Pillar.
‘This proposed law will prevent any minister or state agency from issuing licences for fracking in Ireland or Irish waters. It will also make disposal of fracking waste in Ireland illegal.
‘Fracking is an extremely damaging way of obtaining gas and it has caused severe environmental and human health issues in other parts of the world. It contaminates rivers, lakes and people’s drinking water and is not compatible with agriculture or tourism, Ireland’s two foremost native industries.
‘On the back of the commitments Ireland made in Paris we need to be leaving fossil fuels in the ground for the betterment of the planet and banning fracking is an important step in that.’
ENDS
