Dáil debates

Tuesday, 7 February 2017

Other Questions

Wildlife Protection

5:50 pm

Photo of Seán KyneSeán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My Department, in partnership with the Department of Arts, Heritage, Rural, Regional and Gaeltacht Affairs, has devised a programme of targeted acoustic sound and aerial surveys of protected cetaceans - whales, dolphins and porpoises - and seabirds in the Irish offshore. This programme, which was nominated for a Civil Service Excellence and Innovation Award for its pioneering approach to the sustainable development of the Irish offshore oil and gas industry through its description of animal occurrence, distribution, density and abundance, has been given the title of ObSERVE. This is the first time in the EU that the authorities responsible for oil and gas exploration and for nature conservation have teamed up to find answers to complex issues of mutual concern. The quality and quantity of the data acquired from the ObSERVE project has surpassed expectations and Ireland’s international reputation has been considerably enhanced due to the foresight, concept and proactive nature of this project. The Energy White Paper, Ireland's Transition to a Low Carbon Energy Future 2015-2030, sets out a vision and a framework to guide Irish energy policy and the actions that Government intends to take in the energy sector from now up to 2030, aimed at transforming Ireland's fossil-fuel based energy sector into a clean, low carbon system by 2050. The White Paper identifies the long-term strategic importance of diversifying Ireland's energy generation portfolio and largely decarbonising the energy sector by 2050. The White Paper recognises that oil and natural gas will remain significant elements of Ireland’s energy supply in the transition period and in this context, the development of Ireland’s indigenous oil and gas resources has the potential to deliver significant and sustained benefits to Irish society and the economy. It is important to ensure that while petroleum activities are being undertaken that they are done in a way that is protective of the environment.

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