Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2015
39. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the Environmental Protection Agency's study of hydraulic fracturing could be compromised in the public's opinion owing to the close relationship of some of the participants with hydraulic fracturing interests. [44986/15]
View answerMy question concerns the Environmental Protection Agency's study of hydraulic fracturing. Every time its representatives appear before the Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further serious concerns are raised about the independence of the study which the public very much regards as compromised. Will the Minister of State stop the practice of fracking?
I acknowledge the Deputy's consistent approach to this matter which he is keeping live. I also acknowledge the work done by him and his constituency colleagues, Deputy Tony McLoughlin and Senator Michael Comiskey, who have had regular meetings with me to discuss this important matter.
No doubt we will get into the Deputy's last question in a supplementary reply, but, first, I wish to respond to his initial question. I understand the contract for the unconventional gas exploration and extraction research programme was awarded following a robust evaluation process. The evaluation panel included personnel with the capacity to make informed decisions on the six tenders received. The constitution of the evaluation panel was approved by a broadly-based steering committee.
The evaluation panel found that the tender led by CDM Smith Ireland Limited provided the best response and a contract was awarded to the consortium in August 2014. The consortium includes commercial consultancies, academics, a geological research institution and a legal firm, each offering a particular specialism required by the project's scope, as was detailed in the terms of reference.
The project team was expected to include members with a comprehensive understanding of geology and hydrology, as well as an in-depth knowledge of a range of legal, environmental, health, socio-economic and technical issues, with a knowledge of mineral and fossil fuels.
I am aware that there has been some comment on the fact that, internationally, CDM Smith has provided expert advice for oil companies involved in the development of unconventional gas resources. I should point out that it has also provided advice for State bodies and regulatory agencies across its area of expertise. As I am sure the Deputy will appreciate, it is common for a broad range of parties to seek to draw on the specialist expertise available from a firm such as CDM Smith. The fact that disparate entities seek to draw on such expertise is generally seen as an indicator of a company's recognised experience.
One of the reasons I came to the Dáil was to have fracking banned anywhere in Ireland. The area most at risk from this pernicious technology is where my children and I live. It is where my grandchildren and great grandchildren will also live. Because I am not seeking re-election, I have the luxury of taking on this issue without political considerations. People are doing tremendous work in identifying weaknesses in the Government's approach. The EPA study is fundamentally and fatally flawed. It is one thing to say the EPA will recruit a firm with knowledge of the oil and gas industry but it is another when the company engaged to lead the project held an international symposium extolling the virtues of hydraulic fracturing. That was a bad choice and it will mean a bad study and a bad result. People will have zero confidence in the study which should be stopped.
Ireland is a small country.
This is a small island and I am on the record as having expressed my own reservations about this industry. It is also important to point out that this work was initiated in 2011 by the previous Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, who wanted to find out what was best practice. There was consultation and the Deputy knows the history. Timeframes were set. I want to highlight a couple of important items. The first stage of the research programme is to conclude by the end of January 2016. It is a significant piece of work on the first phase. The plan was that, with work on the second phase, it would feed into a single report to be presented by July 2016.
I thank the Minister of State.
No; this is important, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. It is important to point out that that is not going to happen within the timeframe set. As the tendering process for the second phase of the research programme has not commenced, there cannot be a final report by 2018. I will ask the steering committee to publish an interim report on the significant findings made at the end of January.
I will come back to the Minister of State.
It was not envisaged and was not part of the original plan, but I will ask the steering committee to produce at an early date interim findings on the significant body of work done. No decision will be made on the tendering process until that work is carried out.
I thank the Minister of State. That is very wise. Will the interim report be placed before the Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources for its consideration before any decision is made? Will representatives of the EPA be brought before the joint committee again in advance of any decision being made on the second tender?
I have tabled a motion to be taken at tomorrow's meeting of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications. The TTIP-ISDS negotiations are going on at the moment. The Joint Committee on Transport and Communications was not included as one of the committees involved in preparing the political contribution - as it is unfortunately called - report to the EU even though it covers functions that would be intimately and immediately impacted by TTIP-ISDS. Will that be taken into account following publication of the interim report?
TTIP will involve the European Union and the United States, so that is a wider question. Sticking to this question and this issue, making that presentation to the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications will be considered. It is also important to point out that representatives of the EPA have appeared before the committee and made a very worthwhile presentation. The steering committee needs to be afforded space now because this question has just been asked publicly. I want to give it the space to produce an interim report on the significant body of work it has completed to date. That will happen. I am asking for that to be done sooner rather than later.
We now come to Other Questions. I call Deputy Ó Cuív.
On a point of clarification. Does that mean the land-based studies will not being going ahead from 1 January?
All I am saying is that we are asking the steering committee to produce the findings of its significant work. Nothing will happen until that is achieved.
So nothing further will happen.
