John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Broughan made the point this morning that we need to be sensitive in making decisions and to take into account people living in the area. In respect of the Slyne-Erris-Donegal round, a strategic environmental assessment is under way which will go to public consultation before licences are issued. I worked in this Department in the past and saw that companies are not in any great rush to get involved in exploration — there was no interest in one of the previous rounds.

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