Nevertheless, it is a good idea. Can Ireland reasonably afford not to sacrifice the landscape when we are sacrificing so many human assets thru unemployment and emigration?

It’s sad that you need to ask such a question. Even if it is the right idea to exploit our resources, there’s no sense in rushing into it just because of the potential windfall on offer. It’s not as if the gas is going anywhere. Even left untapped it’s an investment, and provides some energy security.

Terry Turner, so employment at any cost is ok then?

Should we strip mine our countryside, cut down loads of trees and destroy what little woodlands we have left, after all such activity would also create some jobs. Perhaps we should also start storing nuclear waste for other country’s as well, that’s even more jobs. Fantastic!

Its very short sighted to think that this type of activity is ok at any cost, its all fine and well giving jobs to people “now” but what about future generations?

What country will they have to live and work in when we have destroyed its landscape, what about your children and their children?

No job or any amount of foreign investment is worth harming the natural World for. That’s what has been happening for years now and look at the situation the World finds itself in.

Terry, the natural gas is not the only thing there; there’s methane and radium 226 (which is radioactive) amongst others and these gases also get released in the fracking process. All these leak into the local land, eventually seeping into the water table. If you’re happy to drink dangerously contaminated water and eat veg/meat produced on that land, then I’m sure there are loads of home owners in the proposed area who would sell their house to you.

(Radium 226 decays into radon gas which I understand this country already has a problem with…………..)

In general rural Ireland doesn’t possess an open mind

Am I confidant that good environmental standards are maintained nationally? No, I’m not. I have heard of illnesses due to contaminated drinking water so I can’t say I’d have confidence in any proposed measures to maintain good environmental standards in this case.
Why, oh why does the health and wellbeing of Ireland’s citizens always seem to take a back seat to economics! How many policy makers actually understand the words “Public Servant” and actually earn the fat salaries they pay themselves?

Ciaro
The only thing you can generalise about is
people who generalise are generally idiots

@Donal McCarthy: You should probably do a little research before making a comment a bout fracking technology. Techniques are the same as those used in previous years. Plus it’s not just the wells which pose a risk to the environment, it’s the massive increase in road traffic that is required to service the multiple wells which would be sunk. This would devastate the already poor quality rural road network in these Counties. who is going to pay for the repairs once the fracking roadshow has left town?

When it comes to the employment aspect, how many people do you know who are skilled in gas extraction? The vast majority of the skilled jobs will go to ex-pats who will be flow in from the U.K and other EU countries.

The only winners in this will be the exploration companies. Our environment is too precious to be handed over to these people!

Darren, firstly – please read my post. I basically asked for people to do research.
You are clearly ideologically opposed to this so my responding to you is a waste of time but I will give it a go.

In saying that “techniques are the same as those used in previous years”, are you saying that not using chemicals in the fracking process is so insignificant as to mean that the technique is ‘basically the same’ as using them? I find that very surprising.

Secondly, the road objection is a classic bullshit argument that equates to do nothing an anywhere slightly rural. Would you also object to a big wind farm on the same basis?

Thirdly, jobs are jobs are jobs.

@Donal McCarthy
You are correct in saying I am ideologically opposed to fracking. You are wrong about the non use of chemicals.
Only the discovery element of the drilling is chemical free, once they find gas they will have to use chemicals to release the gas along with the radon and any other contaminants that are trapped in the rock.
I’m going to assume that your dismissive attitude means that you don’t live in one of the exploration areas? Sure it’s only Leitrim,Cavan,Sligo and Donegal. Why don’t we call the guys up in Sellafield and tell them we will take all that nasty radioactive sludge they’ve got. Sure it’ll create jobs so that makes it all right!
By the way as I have already stated, the jobs will go primarily to foreign workers who are skilled in this type of exploration. In response to your view on the environmental aspect, I hardly think its a “Bullshit” argument to not want to destroy some of the most scenic land in Ireland. The reason the councils have been so quick to ban fracking in these areas is down to the pressure put on them by the local population. I think that’s called democracy :l

Well there’s the environmental factor as well but you’re right- where there’s money to be made the ‘jobs creation’ mantra is deployed. These people have no interest in creating jobs, if the work didn’t require manual labour they’d be happier still.

The state is getting noting till the wells are capped,and after they right off all expences only then will the state see returns.by the way if anyone thinks they will get cheap gas’ thats a bigger joke,coz they can sell it to us at market value,if the market value of the gas is higher in europe they ship it there,they dont have to sell it to us.The real contamination wont be seen for years in the water,which obviously will in turn contaminate land,cows,deer,pheasants,smaller birds and us ultimately,many people are suffering deaths from liver and intestinal problems from this process..they had to leave there homes with all possessions left behind because of serious contamination. As far as jobs is concerned they tell us 600 jobs. That’s bull,don’t buy it,they bring in there own employee from overseas that are already so called experts in this area.I’ll post some links of guys that were foremen in Canada & US that have quit and gone public on the behind the scenes violations that take place.Mr moorman public relations expert at tamboran ltd has stated that our EPA’s regs on this area are very strict.the EPA don’t have any regs on this at all because obviously it’s never been done here. Don’t believe anything out of his mouth,it’s all lies and PR nonscence to get what they want,massive profit at the cost of us and our contaminated future. Similar company’s have destroyed parts of America. Please everybody don’t leave this mess for your children to clean up.

They have been overthrown in OZ because the chinese own most of it now!!