Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of oil, gas or drilling or exploration onshore and offshore that is currently in hand or proposed. [43678/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of oil, gas or other mineral exploration licences that have been issued in each of the past five years to date in 2009; the number activated; the number of sites under exploration, pending or abandoned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43680/09]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 272 together.

There are a total of 27 active Petroleum Exploration Licences and 3 Licensing Options at present. Exploration activity related to the agreed work programmes for each licence is ongoing. The majority of exploration activity takes place outside of the winter months and as a result there are no applications with the Department to undertake any drilling or to conduct exploration surveys at this time.

Details of the number of Mineral Prospecting Licences and Petroleum Exploration Licences granted in the period 2004 to 2009 are contained in the following table: Licences Granted Years 2004 – 2009

Twenty-two of the Petroleum Exploration Licences issued between 2004 to date are still active and there is a total of four hundred and eighty-three active Prospecting Licences.

Details of Mineral Prospecting Licences can be found in the six-monthly report to the Oireachtas, which the Minister is 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 2009. This report is also available on the Department's website. Information on petroleum licences can be obtained from the Department's Internet IPAS website at http://gis.dcenr.gov.ie/internetIPAS.