This article is from page 15 of the 2012-04-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
A MOTION for a full moratorium on fracking in Ireland was not carried at this weekend’s Labour Party conference in Galway – with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, saying that the motion was not necessary.
The motion, which was put forward by the North Clare branch of the Labour party, was one of two motions concerning a ban on hydraulic fracturing heard at this weekend’s conference.
“Both motions were discussed and Minister Pat Rabbitte actually responded directly to both motion during the conference.
“The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) are currently producing a major report on fracking and he pointed out that nothing will decided on in relation to fracking in Ireland before that report is completed,” said North Clare party member, Seamus Ryan.
“The minister admitted that we don’t have expert opinion on the effects of fracking in Europe. He was very much of the opinion that we should not progress with anything until a time when the reports from the US EPA is completed.
“The North Clare branch were seeking a full moratorium on fracking and that motion was referred back to the National Executive of the part until such a time as more information in available.”
Meanwhile, a motion put forward by the Shannon branch of the Labour Party referred back to the party’s National Executive for “fine-tuning” before it become party policy.
“We are very much in favour of a debt-free Shannon. Shannon Airport has very much been the poor cousin of Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) for some time. Slowly the number have been falling off in Shannon as air traffic has been diverting towards Dublin. We want to see Shannon given the best footing that it can possibly get and that means that it gets the best possible deal that it gets.
“Eamon Gilmore has been in Ennis and Shannon on a number of occasions and he has always reiterated the Labour Party’s commitment to Shannon Airport.
“You could even see that last year when Clare was the first constituency visited by Eamon Gilmore when Labour began its General Election campaign.”