Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 2002

Vol. 554 No. 5

Written Answers. - Offshore Exploration.

Willie Penrose

Ceist:

101 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the main features of the initiative announced on 16 September 2002 aimed at increasing offshore oil and gas exploration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17044/02]

Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. D. Ahern):

The Minister of State at the Department, Deputy Browne, and I propose, with the support of the Government, a licensing initiative that seeks to stimulate and rejuvenate the interest of the industry and the level of exploration in the Irish offshore.

The main features of the initiative are that: the entire Porcupine should be opened to licensing for frontier exploration licences, but in four tranches successively opened at near six monthly intervals between March 2003 and October 2004; all other basins off the west coast currently closed, that is, Slyne, Erris and the east Rockall trough basins, would remain closed for the present; the initiative should be kept under review as it progresses, with a view to adapting it as circumstances dictate; a technical review of the prospectivity of the currently closed east Rockall trough basins be undertaken and their future status be considered in the light of that review and progress achieved as the licensing initiative in the Porcupine progresses.

The initiative is designed to achieve a balance between the differing perspectives of the industry and the national interest. On the one hand, I propose to offer opportunities to the industry for exploration in the Irish offshore and, on the other, I propose to conserve areas of the Irish offshore by closing them off from development for the moment. In addition to attaining this balance, I am trying to ensure that there is an effective vehicle for medium to longer term exploration and development support through regional data gathering and interpretation.