Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2012
57. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government with regards to the recent Foreshore Licence granted to Providence Resources to drill an exploratory well just six kms from the Dublin coastline, if he has satisfied himself that there is no threat to the safety and welfare of the people of Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46181/12]
View answer75. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government with regards to the recent Foreshore Licence granted to Providence Resources to drill an exploratory well just six kms from the Dublin coastline, if he believes he complied with the rules of the Aarhus Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46183/12]
View answer76. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government with regards to the recent Foreshore Licence granted to Providence Resources to drill an exploratory well just six kms from the Dublin coastline, if he is satisfied that no Environmental Impact Assessment was required under EU Directive 85/337/EEC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46182/12]
View answer89. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government with regards to the recent Foreshore Licence granted to Providence Resources to drill an exploratory well just six kms from the Dublin coastline, if he is satisfied that no Environmental Impact Assessment was required under EU Directive 85/337/EEC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46185/12]
View answer97. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government with regards to the recent Foreshore Licence granted to Providence Resources to drill an exploratory well just six kms from the Dublin coastline, if he believes he compiled with the rules of the Aarthus Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46180/12]
View answer105. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government with regards to the recent Foreshore Licence granted to Providence Resources to drill an exploratory well just six kms from the Dublin coastline, if he has satisfied himself that there is no threat to the safety and welfare of the people of Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46184/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 75, 76, 89, 97 and 105 together.
On 27 September 2012 a foreshore licence was granted to Providence Resources in respect of works to undertake site investigations and drilling of a single exploration well off the coast of Dalkey, Co Dublin. Information on the decision to grant the licence was published on my Department’s website on 3 October 2012. The information published includes the main reasons and considerations upon which the decision was based. I am satisfied that the arrangements made for participation by the public in the determination of the proposal, and the provision of information on access to justice, are fully in compliance with the requirements of the Aarhus Convention.
The Aarhus Convention was ratified by the State in June 2012 and entered into force on 18 September 2012. The three pillars of the Convention are access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice. Over 60 pieces of legislation have been used to implement the Aarhus Convention, including a number of amendments to the Foreshore Acts. I am therefore satisfied that the requirements of the Aarhus Convention have been fully complied with in terms of access to information and public participation. There was a significant number of submissions from the public as part of the public consultation process. With regard to the third pillar of the Convention, access to justice, information on how a review of the decision to grant the licence may be sought, is available on my Department’ s website www.environ.ie.
In addition to information on the decision in the case, a range of other materials on the application was published on my Department’s website during the application process, including the application materials submitted by the applicant, submissions received from the public and prescribed bodies, the applicant’s responses to those submissions, and the report of the Marine Licence Vetting Committee (MLVC).
With regard to the EU Directive on Environmental Impact Assessment, the proposal was not of a class that required the submission of an environmental impact statement by the applicant or the performance of an environmental impact assessment under the Directive. However, the applicant submitted an environmental report and the proposal was the subject of an environmental assessment by the scientific and technical advisors on the Marine Licence Vetting Committee. Their assessment involved a detailed examination of the application materials, issues raised in submissions received from the public and prescribed bodies, and the applicant’s responses to those issues. The assessment carried out by the MLVC involved a consideration of the potential impacts of the proposal on any European Sites or species that could be affected by the works, sensitive species, other legitimate users in the area, and navigation issues.
In the event that there is an application in the future for commercial exploitation of the site, such an application would be the subject of further formal applications for consents from the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, the Commission for Energy Regulation with respect to safety, the Environmental Protection Agency should an Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control licence be required, An Bord Pleanála under the Planning Acts, and a full lease or licence under the Foreshore Acts, all of which will require both an Environmental Impact Statement and an Environmental Impact Assessment, including full public consultation, which may include a public inquiry.
