Solid National Opposition To Fracking

Friday February 26, 2016 21:03

by kiff

PRESS RELEASE - Keep Ireland Fracking Free - Feb 26th 2016

SOLID NATIONAL OPPOSITION TO FRACKING.

35% of General Election candidates nationally have committed to supporting legislation to ban fracking. Details of party responses are as follows:

$Proportion by Party of Election 2016 Candidates supporting a fracking ban$
Proportion by Party of Election 2016 Candidates supporting a fracking ban

35% of General Election candidates nationally have committed to supporting legislation to ban fracking. Details of party responses are as follows:

Party	No. Candidates	No. Signed the Pledge	% signed
Fine Gael	87	2	2%
Fianna Fáil	71	18	25%
Sinn Fein	50	30	60%
Labour	36	6	17%
Green	41	41	100%
AAA/PBP	31	26	84%
Direct Democracy	18	7	39%
Renua	26	6	23%
Social Democrats	10	6	60%
Smaller parties	8	5	63%
Independents	163	41	25%
Total	541	188	35%

If Fine Gael and Labour are excluded, 43% of all candidates signed the pledge. And as well as people signing the pledge, there were many statements of support.

"This is a remarkable response”, said Dr Aedín McLoughlin, member of the Vote Frack Free team. “Given the number of pledges that were being circulated, asking candidates to support many different issues and campaigns, to have 188 candidates physically signing the pledge showed that the fracking issue is getting a national response and is a live issue for the next government.

We look forward to continuing the campaign against fracking during the next Dáil session. No matter who makes up the new government, campaigners against fracking will be lobbying them in really effective ways. Only legislation will prevent fracking coming to Ireland; that is our focus for 2016, to take steps to ensure that legislation is drafted that government parties can sign up to."

ALL CONSTITUENCIES RESPOND TO THE PLEDGE!

Comments

· Fracking is now a national issue with all counties in Ireland responding to the campaign.
· The two constituencies targeted for fracking – Sligo-Leitrim and Clare had the highest response rate.
· Over 60% of candidates in Kildare North signed the Pledge.
· All the Dublin and surrounding constituencies responded at 30% or higher, Dublin Central at 55%.
· Response from Cork was mixed. Whereas over 40% of candidates in Cork North West signed the pledge, just over 12% in Cork East signed.
· A surprising (negative) result came from Longford Westmeath where only 22% of candidates signed.

ENDS

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Solid National Opposition To Fracking