Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What is the review process? What does it entail? Is it just a desk review where a civil servant will check that the boxes are ticked or will there be a consultation with the community, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, and other State agencies? I am not sure. We are drawing the line between prospecting and drilling but my understanding is that prospecting can be fairly noisy and disruptive and the machinery is not insubstantial. One must consider that in a special area of conservation farmers have to get permission before they cut hedges which is not as noisy or as obtrusive. Some of the prospecting I have heard of and seen photographs of is substantial work. The noise can affect the people in the area. What is the review process? Will the Minister be reviewing the licences or will a civil servant hand a file to the Minister and say, "Tick these for another six years and let them off to go prospecting again", or will we have an engagement with stakeholders in the review process?