I propose to take Questions Nos. 350 to 353, inclusive, and 356 together.
I would like to re-iterate, as I have done on a number of previous occasions, that any application for an exploration licence that proposed the use of hydraulic fracturing as part of an unconventional gas exploration programme would be subject to an environmental impact assessment.
To clarify, such an assessment would entail consideration of the potential impacts of the project on population (including community impacts and impacts on human health), fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, including the architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the inter-relationship between the above factors. In other words, all of the potential environmental impacts of the proposed use of hydraulic fracturing would have to be assessed to ensure that there would be no significant environmental impact, prior to the grant of any permission for the use of this technology.
I have also made clear that such an environmental impact assessment would be informed by the findings of further research to be commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and that no decision would be made on any proposal for the use of hydraulic fracturing in exploration drilling in Ireland until there has been time to consider the outcome of this further EPA research.