Susan Carton from Love Leitrim updated ENVIRO listeners as to the, health, costs, and climatic aspects of fracking. She talked about some bad experiences of fracking in the US, where methane much more serious than CO2 is released and ground water contaminated. She explained that there will be a motion before the Dail on Thursday 17th October next to ban fracking in the Republic of Ireland.

She suggested that listeners contact their local TDs requesting that they support the bill. She pointed out that renewable energy, and energy conservation are better options for Ireland and that in addition to health and climatic aspects, fracking would damage the local economy and tourism in the area. It was pointed out that Friends of the Earth had a system whereby on a visit to their website, a person could log in, identify which electoral area they are living in following which the website would present them with a pre prepared email which they could at the click of a button send to their local TDs.

John Carmody from the animal rights group ARAN explained that in Cork on Sunday 23rd October, people gathered to protest about the fact that there were just two convictions relating to cruelty to animals so far this year (Dail question put forward by Maureen O’Sullivan TD to Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald).

John explained that this is a ‘shameful record and comes at a time of violent and disturbing acts of cruelty to dogs, cats and horses” in Ireland. The rally called on the Minister for Justice and Ireland’s justice system to do more to investigate and convict those responsible for animal abuse. The rally highlighted the ongoing trade in puppy farms, hare coursing, animals in circuses and other areas that the Irish government are “shamefully turning their backs on”. John pointed out that a ban which had been introduced with regard to bullfighting in part of Spain had been lifted to that this torture of bulls can recommence.

Tom Darcy author of the book ‘Waiting for the Sheriff’ will explain what the book covers, why he wrote the book, and how legislation passed by the Dail has facilitated and is still facilitating evictions and increasing homelessness on a large scale in the Irish Republic often resulting in suicides. He will point out what is being done and what can be done about this and how listeners to the Enviro program can help. Michael Davitt founded the Land League over a century ago demanding ‘fair rent, fixity of tenure and free sale’. Yet today the politicians who have succeeded him have failed dismally to secure these basic needs for the Irish people. Tom is assisted by the present day inheritors of Davitt’s Land League.

Tom presented a summary of a ten point plan which he believes could sort out the housing crisis and put an end to the evictions and homelessness. Joe Dunne suggested that he would write these up in such a way that the public could lend their signatures to them and present them as a 2016 proclamation to solve the housing and homelessness crises. Tom said he would do that and we agreed that when this was written up he could come onto the ENVIRO program again and explain in greater detail.

Tom thanked NEAR FM for affording him the time to present his ideas for dealing with the eviction and homelessness crises.

Presenter: John Haughton

Panellist: Joe Dunne