Debate contribution: Ban Petroleum Licensing and Fracking

Debate contribution by Mr Mark Durkan on 29 April 2024.

MLA

Mr Mark Durkan

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

29 April 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Ban Petroleum Licensing and Fracking

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4486674

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

A legislative ban on petroleum licensing and fracking represents a step change that we need to see to safeguard our environment and protect the health and well-being of communities. For a decade, parties across the Assembly have recognised the need to phase out fossil fuels, though some of us recognised that long before others. We have also known that fracking poses a serious risk, from contaminating groundwater to triggering seismic events. The risks associated with fracking are too great to ignore, and Philip McGuigan outlined many of those risks, including environmental and economic risks. As my party colleague Sinéad McLaughlin mentioned, the body of evidence around the health impacts alone should have served as a clarion call. In 2015, as Environment Minister, I rejected proposals for exploratory drilling in Fermanagh and pledged to review outdated planning policy. I enshrined in policy a presumption against fracking, and I did that pretty quickly. I did so in the face of legal challenge and, indeed, political opposition from across the Chamber, although the opposers were sitting on this side of the Chamber then. I am glad that the DUP has now seen the light. Mr Nesbitt helpfully explained his party's position and journey on the subject of fracking, but I have not received an explanation for the DUP's Damascene conversion. SDLP Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon took up the mantle and removed permitted development rights for onshore oil and gas exploration, so there should be no doubt where the SDLP stands, and has always stood, on this issue, despite the fact that we have had to remind a few of our councillors along the way. Thanks to Mr Blair for reminding me of that. Those were crucial steps in the shift towards renewable energy and a reduction in carbon emissions and were reflective of more environmentally conscious legislation. The SDLP has been steadfast in its stance against fracking, and while I welcome the fact that the parties across the Chamber now agree with that position, today is not, or should not be, a back-patting exercise; it is more of an embarrassing admission of dither and delay on such a pressing and important issue. There has been plenty of talk in the Chamber over the past few months about what Ministers and the Executive should or would do, but promises have not been actioned. Ms McLaughlin lamented the fact that, rather than being legislators, we are becoming professional debaters, and I am sure that many members of the public view us as nothing much more than a bunch of master debaters as well. Our amendment is not just a case of "do things more quickly". We want concrete commitments and targets for delivery. How many things have been getting done for an eternity but never getting done at all? That is across all Departments, and the Programme for Government springs to mind. Therefore, I am glad that we are hearing of movement on petroleum licensing and fracking, but let us see that movement soon. That is what we are calling for. In 2022, the Department brought a paper to the Executive recommending a moratorium on fracking and gas and oil exploration in the North, and, in February, Minister Murphy confirmed to me at Question Time that he was considering a legislative ban on fracking and hoped to bring forward proposals in the not-too-distant future. That was an already established direction of travel, and I therefore imagine that a body of work has been done by the Department. On that basis, I thought that it would be a reasonable enough request to bring forward the legislation at least by the end of this year. Let us at least get that legislative process started. We must keep step with across the water and the South. We must alleviate fears that still exist in communities here about the imminent threat from the unwanted onshore oil and gas industry, and we must even potentially seek to undo some of the damage that has been done in the past. I ask Members to support our amendment, which demands delivery and which will, we believe, focus minds. People deserve assurance that hard-won environmental protections will not be undone and that future decisions will be geared towards creating a greener society that supports the economy. We want what is best for the planet and best for people's pockets. As Mr Honeyford said, we need a cross-departmental approach to support a transition to renewables. In our view, the best way to get community buy-in is to ensure that the community derives benefit from renewable projects that are on its doorstep. I urge Members to support the amendment.

781 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:20 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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