Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 December 2021
120. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide information on an offshore petroleum exploration licence (details supplied); if the licence remains in operation; if consented or permitted activities remain underway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61207/21]
View answerInformation on all petroleum authorisations is updated and published on a quarterly basis on gov.ie (www.gov.ie/en/publication/10d43-acreage-reports-and-concession-maps/). The most recent such report was published in respect of the three-month period ending 30 September 2021.
In addition, Section 57 of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960 requires that I lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas every six months a report detailing all petroleum authorisations extant and granted during the period of the report. The last such report laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas was in respect of the six-month period ending 30 June 2021.
In February 2021 I granted approval to the licensees to undertake a seabed geophysical, environmental baseline and habitat assessment survey within the licensed area referred to. This survey took place in October 2021.
