Sinn Féin has pledged to support an anti-fracking bill which is set to go before the Dáil next week.

Mr Martin Kenny TD for Sligo, Leitrim, West Cavan and South Donegal, said the party will do "all in its power" to ban fracking on Irish soil.

He said: "In this constituency I am following in the pioneering footsteps of my predecessor, former TD Michael Colreavy, who worked tirelessly during his term to research the devastating effects of fracking and to bring forward legislation to ban the process North and South.

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"Unfortunately, such pieces of legislation go through a lottery process to get onto the order paper in the Dáil and ours has not yet come up. We will support this Bill however.

"I notice that Deputy McLoughlin is introducing his Bill during Private Members' Time and that it is not coming forward as government legislation. I hope that his party and their colleagues in Fianna Fáil will support it and prevent this destructive form of exploration taking place."

(CD/LM)