Update on No New Gas - Protect Northern Ireland from Fracking

Getting the Dáil to ban fracking in 2017 was one of our biggest environmental victories in the last decade - won thanks to some terrific campaigning and grassroots activism by a broad range of groups across Ireland. So when a crack appeared in this victory late last year we sprung into action. A new petroleum licencing policy risks opening the door to fracking in Northern Ireland - and so our fight against fracking on the island of Ireland has resumed. As everyone knows, fracking pollution knows no borders.

There are pending petroleum licence applications in Fermanagh, where a company called Tamboran Resources UK applied for a licence in 2016. This lake-land area connects Lough Erne and the River Shannon, which supplies drinking water to many in Ireland. Another application by EHA Exploration covers the five council areas of Belfast, Antrim and Newtownabbey, Armagh City and Banbridge, Craigavon and Lisburn, Castlereagh and Mid Ulster. This area near Lough Neagh supplies 40% of Northern Ireland’s drinking water.

Before Christmas, we co-hosted an online webinar to discuss the threat of fracking in Northern Ireland. We organised this event with Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland, Frack Action US and a wonderful community group who is fighting fracking on the ground, LAMP Fermanagh. We were also joined by our anti-fracking allies in the US - including Hollywood actor and anti-fracking advocate Mark Ruffalo, who spoke passionately about fighting fracking in his his own homeplace. Mark warned of the ability of fracking to divide communities and had a strong message for the Sinn Féin, calling on them to live up to their commitments to block fracking in Northern Ireland. You can watch the full webinar back here.

The risk of a dangerous petroleum licencing policy remains and so the struggle to get Sinn Féin and the Stormont Executive to ban petroleum licencing completely and stop the DUP from facilitating fracking continues.