Legislate now to Ban Oil and Gas Drilling off Irish Coast

Petition Update December 2020:
In mid-December, we are going to deliver this petition and letters signed by both civil society groups from across the globe and members of the Houses of the Oireachtas
urging Minister Eamon Ryan to support the granting of a money message from the Government so the Climate Emergency Bill can progress to committee stage as soon as possible.

Petition Update September 2020:
Not Here Not Anywhere has been campaigning to ban offshore drilling since 2017, and in that time we have seen progress and changes in government policy. In the 2020 Programme for Government agreed by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, and Greens stated the following on oil and gas drilling "End the issue of new licenses for the exploration and extraction of gas, on the same basis as the recent decision concerning oil exploration and extraction" [1]. Now that Eamon Ryan is the Minister for Climate Action, he has the power to legislate and ban offshore oil and gas drilling outright. Recently, we submitted a Parliamentary question to find out when the legislation when going to be enacted. We got the below response from Minister Ryan "While there is no requirement for legislative underpinning, I and my Department will evaluate whether any further actions would be useful in terms of providing maximum clarity." [2].

We disagree with the Minister’s assessment, if the current government falls with no legislation passed it could lead to future licenses been issued under a new administration. Also, if legislation was passed it would be a major victory for the climate movement both in Ireland and globally and we would be joining other countries around the world which have shown this climate leadership [3]. We need to shed our climate laggard status, legislate to ban offshore oil and gas drilling, and KEEP IT IN THE GROUND.

Original petition:
On 11th July, just one week after onshore fracking was banned in Ireland, Minister of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten, granted consent to oil & gas drilling by Providence Resources PLC in the Porcupine Basin off our south-west coast [4]. They expect to find 5 billion barrels of oil [5].

In an Orwellian twist, a “Department of Climate Action” has allowed for the burning of 5 billion barrels of oil when international climate experts state that 80% of the known fossil fuels have to stay in the ground if we want to avoid going over the safe 2 degrees limit of global warming [6].

Any investment in fossil fuel industry and infrastructure will result in what is known as “carbon lock-in”, taking us on a one-way unstoppable trip to dangerous levels of global warming that threaten global health and eco-systems [7].

Oil and gas exploration is also deadly for Ireland’s unique dolphin, whale and porpoise population [8] and plankton, the basis of the marine ecosystem [9]. Yet, Minister Naughten has refused to confirm if drilling will stop if a threat to the population is found [10].

We call on Minister Naughten to retract the Providence Resources permit immediately. Furthermore, we call on the Minister to follow the lead of France [11] and ban all new oil and gas exploration in Irish waters.

We need to halt all dead investments in the fossil fuel industry and prepare a just transition to an economy that can provide workers with real, sustainable long-term jobs that can provide for their families and their future [12].

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[1]https://www.greenparty.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-06-15-ProgrammeforGovernment_Corrected-Final-Version.pdf
[2]https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2020-09-15/162/#pq_162
[3]https://www.looptt.com/content/new-zealand-next-list-ban-offshore-drilling
[4] http://www.independent.ie/business/world/providence-resources-commences-drilling-off-the-southwest-coast-of-ireland-35921724.html
[5] http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/amp/news/180745
[6] http://www.carbontracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Unburnable-Carbon-Full-rev2-1.pdf
[7]http://priceofoil.org/2016/09/22/the-skys-limit-report/
[8] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2014/02/140228-atlantic-seismic-whales-mammals/
[9] https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/23/15861932/offshore-drilling-airgun-seismic-surveys-zooplankton-death-oceans
[10] https://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2017-02-07a.382
[11]http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-ban-new-oil-gas-exploration-stop-granting-licences-macron-hulot-renewable-energy-drive-a7806161.html
[12] http://www.impact.ie/climate-change-workers-communities-must-protected-just-transition-carbon-free-economy-says-impact/