Facts: how and when the fracking license options were issued
Posted by info on 09 Sep 2011 at 07:22 am | Tagged as: Energy, Environment
There has been commentary in public debate over recent weeks as to the previous Government’s role in the regulatory process that has allowed companies explore the possibility of extracting gas from the shale rock formations in the Lough Allen Basin.
The role of the Green Party in this process needs to be clarified.
Eamon Ryan and John Gormley resigned from their Cabinet positions on January 23rd 2011. Eamon Ryan was replaced as Minister for Energy, Communications and Natural Resources on the same day by Pat Carey.
Several weeks later, on February 14th 2011, Minister for State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Conor Lenihan TD, issued license options to Tamboran Resources and The Lough Allen Natural Gas Company.
At no time was current Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, involved in the issuance of licenses to undertake gas exploration in the Lough Allen region.
Hmm. How about that => Onshore Licencing Options (http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/2010/Onshore+Licencing+Options.htm)?
Dublin 26th March 2010
Eamon Ryan was minister at that time.
Yes, invitations to tender were invited in March 2010, by Conor Lenihan. The fact that an invitation to tender was made does not mean that licensing options had to be granted. At the time the invitation was made, there was no indication that hydraulic fracking would be proposed as the extraction technology.
How informed is a minister Eamon Ryan if he thinks that there was “no indication that hydraulic fracking would be proposed as the extraction technology”?
What other technologies were on the table?
There weren’t any technologies on the table. As late as Apr 2011, Sinn Fein tabled a motion in the Dail calling for exploration in the Lough Allen Basin to go ahead. The prospect of hydraulic fracking only became apparent in the last 12 months. The first time it was publicly debated in the area was when Green Party rep Johnny Gogan arranged a screening of Gasland in Drumshanbo.