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.”

Statement on Lagan Valley Hospital’s reduced A&E service

The recent reduction in opening hours of the A&E department at Lagan Valley Hospital, by the South Eastern Health Trust ‘due to a shortage of medical staff’¹, is of serious concern for the greater Lisburn area and part of a worrying trend of cuts in acute care in Northern Ireland.

The Lagan Valley Green Party welcomes the efforts from across the community and political spectrum in support of 24 hour A&E provision at Lagan Valley Hospital.

Chairperson Conor Quinn stated, “It is vital that the cross-party efforts on Lisburn City Council are maintained to ensure that the reduced hours A&E provision at Lagan Valley is only temporary. The Green Party will continue to fight for the protection of local services, in particular emergency health care.”