With the prospect of a policy review on petroleum licensing in Northern Ireland coming to Stormont Ministers, there were emotional pleas during a webinar on Monday evening to put an end to the threat of fracking.

Local anti-fracking campaigner, Diane Little, said a failure to ban petroleum would be “a catastrophe for Northern Ireland”.

Speaking at an online event, Ms. Little was joined by Hollywood actor and fellow anti-fracking campaigner, Mark Ruffalo (see article above), along with Dr. Kathy Nolan, of Concerned Health Professionals New York, and Julia Walsh of Frack Action New York, and Friends of the Earth activists to call on the Stormont Executive to give the communities of Northern Ireland a “real peace at Christmas”.

200 people

With more than 200 people in attendance online from across countries including Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, England, and America, Ms. Little said: “We need an international spotlight and emergency intervention here, now, and we hope that you all will help us.”

Giving those in attendance a background on the current situation around fracking in Northern Ireland, Ms. Little put the pressure on the political parties that comprise the Stormont Executive.

“We need parties to work together to protect people. The Sinn Féin bill to ban [fracking] that they brought recently to the Assembly does not ban fracking and comes far too late – even after 10 years, it eventually came, but it came too close to the elections next year to have any hope of passing into law.

“Policy made in the Executive now is the only way we can be safe. The reason why this vote on policy on petroleum licensing is so critical is that if the Executive were to approve a policy to allow licensing, then they would be legally obliged to vote to approve two applications, which are awaiting approval.

“Once the companies have the application granted, they will be unstoppable, because they will have the legal authority to start drilling and could sue the Government for billions if the Government tries to ban fracking after the applications are granted.”

Applications

One of these applications for fracking, by Tamboran Resources UK, covers more than 50 per cent of Fermanagh.

“Failing to ban petroleum licensing in this policy review will be a catastrophe for Northern Ireland, and will lock us into propping up fossil fuel assets for a generation,” she continued.

“Ministers must not lock us into propping up the fossil fuel infrastructure for decades. It is not acceptable for us to be exploited in this way.

“We welcome this international spotlight on the Northern Ireland Executive ministers,” added Ms. Little.

She concluded by saying: “Our only hope is a full and final ban on petroleum licensing now, which can be made by ministers in the Executive who will decide petroleum licensing policy before December 16.

‘Reach consensus’

“We need elected representatives to have courage, to reach consensus, and to stand together against institutional oppression and the human rights violations which we face.

“A policy that will ban petroleum licensing must be the one and only policy to come out to public consultation.

“So after 10 years of threat and fighting, the threat to all we value will actually come to an end, and give the communities here a real peace this Christmas [if the Executive ban petroleum licensing],” added Ms. Little.