Green Party says government is insulting communities with fracking bribe

The Green Party in Northern Ireland has hit out at a government suggestion that communities subjected to Fracking would be offered a 1 per cent share in profits of gas extraction.

“Quite frankly, it is an insult to try to bribe people to accept the unacceptable,” Green MLA Steven Agnew said.

“There may be relatively small windfall amounts of cash available, although we have not seen any actual figures around this, at the start of the fracking process but the fact is gas flow rates from wells deteriorate quickly.

“This is pure economic short-termism which has been the general failure of government.

“I think it is sign of desperation that communities are being offered a small sop to keep them quiet so multinational energy companies can exploit their natural resources at great human and environmental costs to the people living in the areas designated for fracking.

“It may come as surprise to some politicians and corporate interests, but money isn’t everything.

“Government may be dangling a financial carrot but that carrot is rotten to the core.

“Human health and protecting the environment for future generations is not something that should be bought and sold because it suits the Con/Dem agenda who have been fooled into thinking that Fracking is the panacea to our energy needs.

“Gas is the cause of high energy prices – not the solution.

“We need to promote, invest in and develop sustainable energy sources to break the addiction to fossil fuels which profits only oil and gas companies which have no real investment in the future of the communities which they seek to pollute.”

Green Party deeply concerned about Fracking

Green Party in Northern Ireland European candidate and European Shale Gas Working Group co-ordinator Ross Brown said: “Fracking is a dirty extraction process which involves injecting millions of gallons of chemicals deep underground to fracture rock to release gas.

“There are thousands of well-documented instances of environmental contamination and negative health impacts associated with fracking.

“In places where fracking has been permitted doctors are reporting cases of weakness, headaches, nausea, rashes and burning eyes from residents living in the area.

“The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment are just about to grant more prospecting licences which will mean that many areas in Northern Ireland will now be covered. (see map below)

“Fracking has been banned in France, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic and has been halted in a number of other locations including a number of US and German states.

“In 2011, the Northern Ireland Assembly passed a Green Party motion calling for the withdrawal of four exploration licences, which had been issued in Northern Ireland at that time. In spite of the real dangers highlighted during this debate, Arlene Foster, the DUP Minister has failed to act.

“The Green Party in Northern Ireland wants to make sure that citizens know exactly what it is happening before it is too late and they suddenly find their areas dotted with gas wells spewing out contaminants and chemicals.

“Fracking is an extreme energy which is akin to scraping the bottom of the barrel to reach gas reserves.

“Concerns are often rightly raised regarding fracking and contamination of water supplies but it must also be remembered that this is a dirty process which also can contribute to significant air pollution.

“Fracking also puts in jeopardy two of our biggest revenue-driving sectors of tourism and agribusiness.

“Not to mention the disruptive and negative impact it will have on people leaving close to well pads who will see their health put at risk and their house prices devalued.

“The people of Northern Ireland now need to come together and make it known to the Department of Enterprise that we do not want the process of fracking destroying our health and environment so multi-national energy companies can make money off the misery of communities living in close proximity to these wells.”