Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It is expected that the number of authorisations will decline further as authorisations continue to expire or are relinquished, with no new authorisations for new exploration and extraction replacing them. I received Government approval on 2 February 2021 to prepare legislation to give statutory effect to this prohibition, which will be done through this Bill. A statutory ban will send another clear message to industry and the world that Ireland is moving away from oil and natural gas exploration and extraction.

See this speech in context