Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2020
90. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Climate Action and Communication Networks if the planned climate action (amendment) Bill will include a ban on fracked gas and oil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24996/20]
View answerThe purpose of the Climate Action (Amendment) Bill is to strengthen the governance structure in supporting Ireland's response to climate breakdown. The Bill, which the Programme for Government commits to introducing into the Dáil within the first 100 days of Government, will:
- Set a target to decarbonise the economy by 2050 at the latest.
- Make the adoption of five-year carbon budgets, setting maximum emissions by sector, a legal requirement.
- Strengthen the role of the Climate Change Advisory Council, including in relation to proposing appropriate carbon budgets.
A statutory ban on fracking in Ireland is already established under the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Prohibition of Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing) Act 2017, which prohibits the exploration for and extraction of onshore petroleum by means of hydraulic fracturing. Additionally, in line with the Programme for Government, my Department is no longer accepting new applications for exploration licences for natural gas or oil.
The Programme for Government also states that the Government does not support the importation of fracked gas and undertakes to develop a policy statement to establish this approach. My Department is working to develop a proposal to meet this objective which I will bring to Government for approval. The work that is underway includes consideration of what, if any, legislation will be required. Any such legislation would not form part of the Climate Action (Amendment) Bill.
