Many questions remain unanswered: Weir

Workers Party representative Gemma Weir has called  for a public inquiry into the granting of an exploratory drilling licence just metres away from a water reservoir at Woodburn Forest in Carickfergus.

Questions                       ‘The drilling company this week announced that no oil deposits had been found but questions about how the licence was granted and the role of NI Water in leasing the land remain unanswered’, Gemma said.

‘There is also the extremely serious matter of the lack of an environmental impact assessment, how that was circumvented and the role it will play in future exploratory drilling.”

‘I congratulate all those involved in protesting against this drilling operation and also the local companies which supported the protest by refusing to provides services.

‘I will now be requesting a meeting Chris Hazard  the new Minister for the Department of Infrastructure to raise these and other questions and  to seek assurances that his department will not be issuing licenses for similar operations or for  fracking  anywhere in Northern Ireland’, Gemma concluded.