The anti-fracking bill has passed its final stage in the Dáil.

The Bill to ban onshore fracking will now be passed to the Seanad.

Sinn Féin Agriculture spokesperson, Martin Kenny TD, welcomed the announcement.

He said: "I am a happy man today to see this Bill progress because of the environmental implications of fracking and the damage it could do to communities, the landscape and the tourism and farming industries

"However, this Bill does not cater for offshore fracking which is possible under the present law. Though this technology is still at any early stage, with only one large scale operation in place off the coast of the US, this is something that is growing.

"There are question marks over the environmental implications of this form of offshore extraction but a one line amendment in the present legislation could have been challenged in the future.

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"We understand that putting an amendment to ban offshore fracking at this point could endanger the current legislation and assist those who want to defeat it. We realise to ban offshore fracking needs a larger piece of legislation and we will set about this, but we did not put this piece of legislation in jeopardy by pushing the amendment right now.

"We are committed to the aim of making the whole island fracking free. The people of Fermanagh will suffer the environmental implications of fracking the same as people in Sligo, Leitrim, Clare or Limerick."

Sinn Féin Spokesperson for the Environment Brain Stanley TD said: "We need to ensure that the whole island is fracking free, the people of Fermanagh will suffer the possible environmental implications of fracking in the same way as people in Sligo and Clare would have done.

"This debate also opens up the question of the States use of fossil fuels. We import the vast majority of our gas and import all of our oil. We need to be seeking an alternative so that the island is self-sufficient and sustainable. We need to have a plan in place that sets out going forward what our future use of fossil fuels will be."

(CD/LM)