Communications, Climate Action and Environment Committee to focus on the impact of fracking

Committee Chair Hildegarde Naughton TD said: “The Prohibition of the Exploration and Extraction of Onshore Petroleum Bill 2016 was referred to the Committee by the Dáil on 27 October 2016. The Committee decided to undertake a detailed scrutiny of the provisions of this bill together with the Environmental Protection Agency-led Joint Research Programme on the impacts of fracking on the environment and human health and we are currently inviting public submissions on the issue.

“As part of our initial consideration of fracking, tomorrow we will meet with officials from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment; the Geological Survey of Ireland; the Environmental Protection Agency; and a consortium led by consultants CDM Smith Ireland Limited to discuss policy issues arising from the proposed Bill and the report of the EPA-led Joint Research Programme on the Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on the Environment and Human Health.”

Before its discussions on fracking, the Committee will decide whether to carry out scrutiny of EU legislative proposals:

Schedule A:

The \"Clean Energy for all Europeans\" package.

COM (2016) 759 Energy Union
COM (2016) 767 Energy from renewable sources
COM (2016) 861 The internal market for electricity
COM (2016) 864 The internal market for electricity
COM (2016) 863 EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators

This meeting will start in Committee Room 2, Leinster House at 5pm tomorrow, Tuesday, 31 January 2017.

The agenda for the meeting is:

(i) Election of Vice-chairman

(ii) Scrutiny of EU legislative proposals.

(iii)Policy issues arising from the Prohibition of the Exploration and Extraction of Onshore Petroleum Bill 2016 [PMB] and EPA led Joint Research Programme on the Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on the Environment and Human Health.

Committee proceedings can be viewed live here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.

Note to the editor:  The closing date for receipt of submissions on fracking is Thursday 2 February 2017.  Late submissions will be circulated to the committee, but there is no guarantee that they will be taken into account when the committee is considering its report.