Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has urged the Stormont Executive to introduce an immediate ban on all forms of onshore petroleum exploration, including hydraulic fracturing, rather than waiting for a legislative process to end licensing.

The council made its position clear in its formal response to a Department for the Economy consultation on the Petroleum Exploration and Licensing (Repeal) Bill. The proposed legislation would ban the issuing of new licences for onshore exploration and production across Northern Ireland.

The bill stems from a 2020 review of the onshore petroleum licensing system. Independent research commissioned by the department concluded that such exploration would not deliver significant economic benefits, was unlikely to lower oil and gas prices, and could have negative social and environmental consequences. A 2024 public consultation found 95 per cent of respondents backed a moratorium followed by a legislative ban.

While welcoming the department’s preferred approach, the council said it wanted a more decisive outcome. Director of Regeneration and Planning Sinead McEvoy told members that the council firmly restated its strong opposition to all onshore petroleum developments, including unconventional fracking.

Councillor Tommy Maguire of Sinn Féin, proposing the response, said the move was long overdue, recalling community protests against fracking in Belcoo in 2014 and the many debates that followed. The proposal was seconded by Ulster Unionist councillor Allen Rainey and gained unanimous support from all members.

The Northern Ireland Executive has already approved legislation that would permanently remove the Department for the Economy’s authority to grant petroleum licences, effectively ruling out any future fracking proposals. The council’s call for an immediate ban goes further than the current legislative timeline.