Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Deputy will be aware that neither I nor the Minister of State, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, has received the report on offshore oil and gas exploration from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture. I understand the committee has engaged with the subject matter of this report for more than six months and over that time has invited a range of parties to give evidence before it. My Department made a presentation to the committee in September last and has provided additional material since then to assist the committee in its work.

I understand the committee's report is due to be published shortly and I look forward to receiving a copy as soon as it is available. I can assure the Deputy that I will be happy to discuss the report and its recommendations as soon as I have the opportunity to read and consider the report in detail.

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