Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his preferred options for the future development of exploration in the oil, gas or other mineral sectors; if he will revise or update the licensing regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11417/07]

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 159: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the extent to which commercial finds of oil, gas or other minerals have been identified on or off-shore, on foot of previous or ongoing explorations; his intentions for the development or regulation of such finds in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11420/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 159 together.

It is my objective to ensure that the licensing regime in place maximises the return to the national economy while, at the same time, encouraging exploration for petroleum through an 'open door' policy in the Celtic Sea and a 'Licensing Round' system in the Atlantic Margin. This regime must be sufficiently progressive to accommodate both future variations in oil and gas prices and the high cost of deep-water field development.

I am considering the report of the consultants who were engaged to assist with the review of the licensing regime. I will bring my proposals for the future of the licensing regime to Government in the near future and I will then take appropriate steps to give effect to the decisions taken. It is my intention that the consultants report would then be placed in the public domain.

With regard to non-petroleum minerals, it is Government policy to stimulate discovery of economic mineral deposits and to maximise the contribution of the mining sector to the national economy, with due regard to its social and environmental impact. Exploration and development is undertaken by private enterprise and regulated under the Minerals Development Acts, 1940 to 1999. All extraction of minerals under the Acts is subject to payment of royalties to the State. While it is my intention to consolidate and update the Minerals Development Acts in a new Minerals Development Bill currently being drafted in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, I do not propose to change that policy.

There have been four commercial finds of natural gas, namely the Kinsale, Ballycotton and Seven Heads fields in the Celtic Sea off the south coast and the Corrib field in the Slyne Basin off the west coast. There have been no finds onshore that have proved to be commercial.

With regard to non-petroleum minerals, exploration and development is undertaken by private enterprise and regulated under the Minerals Development Acts, 1940 to 1999. New exploration is continuously undertaken as part of my requirements to holders of Prospecting Licences, of which there are currently 274. Details of these Licences can be found in the six monthly report to the Oireachtas, which I am obliged to lay before the House under the Minerals Development Acts, 1940 to 1999. The last such report was in respect of the six-month period ended 30 June 2006. I will shortly lay before this House the report for the six months to 31 December 2006.

No new economic deposits of non-petroleum minerals have been discovered in recent years. There have been some encouraging results, however. Exploration adjacent to existing base metal mines at Navan, Co. Meath (Boliden Tara Mines Ltd.) and Galmoy, Co. Kilkenny (Galmoy Mines Ltd.) has discovered additional resources which have the potential to extend the life of those mines. I have granted new State Mining Licences to both companies for extraction of parts of these additional resources.