Deputy Michael Colreavy, Sinn Féin spokesperson for Communications Energy and Natural Resources, has called on the government to listen to warnings about hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, before making a decision whether to grant an exploration licence for the process in Ireland.

Echoing the call of the British National Trust, Deputy Colreavy said: "The British National Trust has highlighted the potential dangers that fracking poses to the environment. In Britain they witnessed small earthquakes, believed to have been caused by the fracking process which pumps large volumes of water into the ground to extract shale gas. Fracking could cause damage to many rural homes if it is to be introduced in Ireland.

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"The Lough Allen Basin, where fracking is proposed, is an area of natural beauty. Many livelihoods depend on the environment, such as the tourism and agriculture industries. The risk to these industries is too great to introduce fracking. The practice is not likely to benefit the people of the area because, just like the gas, the money too will flow out of Ireland.

"Sinn Féin has continually called for a total ban on fracking as we believe that it is unsafe and potentially disastrous for the environment. The benefits that the gas companies claim are far outweighed by the potential negative consequences."

(CD/IT)