Northern Ireland Economy Minister Gordon Lyons has failed to rule out allowing fracking on agricultural land in the region during Question Time in the Assembly yesterday, Monday 06 December.

Green Party NI Leader Claire Bailey has voiced her concern at the lack of action and called for a ban on fracking.

"Fracking is a high risk form of gas extraction, and can result in pollution and contamination of the surrounding land, as well as adding to our greenhouse gas emissions," Clare Bailey MLA said.

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"If fracking is allowed to happen on Northern Ireland's agricultural land, the resulting pollution and contamination risks devastating the rural economy. The DUP need to put the interests of Northern Ireland's rural communities and our environment first, and commit to banning fracking.

"In the Assembly today, Minister Lyons also failed to clarify if the leaked executive summary of the Hatch Report is accurate. It's unacceptable that despite tens of thousands of pounds of public money being spent on it, the full report remains hidden from public scrutiny. In the interest of basic transparency and accountability, the Minister should publish the full report as soon as possible.

"Time and again, the five-party Executive has failed to respond to the climate crisis with the urgency it requires. Now is the time for Executive Ministers to show some leadership, stand up to fossil fuel corporations, and ban oil and gas exploration in Northern Ireland."