Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
112. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of exploration licences for gas and oil operational in Irish waters to date; the work done under these licences in the past year; if it is expected that any of these will lead to commercial finds of gas and or oil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43685/22]
View answerInformation on all current 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 June 2022. 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 2022.
It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the potential of individual authorisations.
