Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A licensing option confers upon the option holder the first right, exercisable at any time during the period of the option, to an exploration licence or licences over all or part of the area covered by the option. I can confirm that in accordance with the rules governing the two-year licensing option granted to Tamboran Resources in March 2011, the company exercised the right conferred upon it by the option and submitted an application for a follow-on exploration licence prior to the expiry of the licensing option in February 2013. In summary, the period of the licensing option ended almost 20 months ago and the right to apply for an exploration licence has been exercised.

Successive Ministers and Ministers of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources have confirmed that they will make no decision on such an application pending the outcome of the Environmental Protection Agency's research programme into the use of hydraulic fracturing. This research, which commenced recently, is expected to conclude in 2016. It has been made clear to the company that no decision will be taken on any application that proposes the use of hydraulic fracking in exploration drilling until the EPA research programme has been completed and the Government and other interested parties have had time to consider its findings. The appropriate time for making decisions on the issue of hydraulic fracturing will be after there has been an adequate opportunity to reflect on the findings of the EPA research.

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