Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2014
630. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the way the structures and processes in place that ensure that the conflicting aims, that is maximisation of benefits versus safety and environmental impact, are handled within the petroleum affairs division; the control functions that are in place for the oversight of those same structures and processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48304/14]
View answerIreland has a clear strategy in respect of the offshore oil and gas exploration and development sector, the principal objective being to seek to maximise the benefits to the people of Ireland from its indigenous natural resources while ensuring there is a robust regulatory regime in place so that activities are carried out in a safe manner that do not harm the environment.
The regulatory regime for oil and gas exploration and development has been significantly modernised in recent years, in particular with regard to the regulation of activities from a safety and environmental perspective. Most recently, the Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Act, 2010 conferred responsibility on the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) to set up a petroleum safety framework for the regulation of petroleum activities with regard to safety. The safety framework is now fully operational and this requires that a petroleum undertaking must submit a safety case application to the CER and have been granted a safety permit before any petroleum activities, or operations, can commence.
The Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act was introduced in 2006 to consider certain developments which are of strategic, economic, or social importance to the State or to a region. This means that planning applications for certain large scale private developments, generally of a scale requiring environmental impact assessment pursuant to the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and appropriate assessment pursuant to the Birds and Natural Habitats Directive, will be made directly to An Bord Pleanála. Previously such applications were the remit of the relevant Local Authority, with a right of appeal to An Bord Pleanála. Oil and gas development projects come within the remit of An Bord Pleanála under the 2006 Act.
My Department continues to have a role in relation to the consideration of the potential environmental impacts of certain activities that are subject to Ministerial decision. Such decisions are informed by expert advice provided by other State bodies, such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service, along with the advice of expert external environmental consultants engaged by my Department. Details of approvals granted, together with supporting documentation, including applications for approval, expert environmental advices and decision submissions, are all published on my Department’s website in the interest of transparency.
