Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 346: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of oil, gas or other mineral exploration licences issued on an annual basis from 2005 to date in 2010; the number that have been activated; the number that have been deemed to be commercially viable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17021/10]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Details of the number of Mineral Prospecting Licences and Petroleum Exploration Licences granted in the period 2005 to 2010 are contained in the following table: Licences Granted Years 2005 – 2010

Eighteen of the twenty two Petroleum Exploration Licences issued since 2005 are still active. Exploration under these Licences is ongoing and while there have been a number of new finds of oil and gas in the Irish Offshore in recent years, none of these have been declared commercial to date.

There is a total of five hundred and eight active mineral Prospecting Licences. Details of these 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 31 December 2009. This report is also available on the Department's website. While no new commercially viable deposits of minerals have been discovered in recent years, there have been some encouraging results.