Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if, in view of a possible oil find in Dublin Bay, if his attention has been drawn to the pamphlet, produced by Dublin Shell to Sea Campaign, Liquid assets: Ireland's oil and gas resources and how they can be managed for the people's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43747/12]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if, in view of a possible oil find in Dublin Bay, if his attention has been drawn to the pamphlet, produced by Dublin Shell to Sea Campaign, Liquid assets: Ireland's oil and gas resources and how they can be managed for the people's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43745/12]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if, in view of a possible oil find in Dublin Bay, if his attention has been drawn to the pamphlet, produced by Dublin Shell to Sea Campaign, Liquid assets: Ireland's oil and gas resources and how they can be managed for the people's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43746/12]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if, in view of a possible oil find in Dublin Bay, if his attention has been drawn to the pamphlet, produced by Dublin Shell to Sea Campaign, Liquid assets: Ireland's oil and gas resources and how they can be managed for the people's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43748/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 27, 30 and 38 together.

Firstly I should clarify that no petroleum exploration activity has been licensed in Dublin Bay. Providence Resources and partners have a drilling commitment on their petroleum exploration licence in the Kish Bank Basin off the Dublin\Wicklow coast.

I am aware of booklet entitled “Liquid Assets - Ireland’s oil and gas resources and how they could be managed for the peoples benefit” produced by the Dublin Shell to Sea Campaign. While the booklet addresses a number of discrete topics related to exploration for and production of oil and gas, its principal focus is on how Ireland should get best value from its natural resources going forward.

A key element of the analysis relates to the 21 billion barrels of oil equivalent resource potential identified in the booklet. While the authors acknowledge that this estimate, which is based inter alia on various company media releases of potential resources, might not be entirely accurate, it is still relied on in the booklet in the way “proven reserves” would be used to inform public policy decisions. The reality is that Ireland’s proven hydrocarbon resources to date amount to approximately 0.5 bboe and more than half of this has already been exploited.

The Shell to Sea estimate of 21 billion barrels of oil equivalent (bboe) includes:

Over 8 bboe for two prospects in the Atlantic, neither of which have been drilled or even have a drilling commitment;

Almost another 1 bboe in relation to two prospects (Cashel and Blackrock), both of which when drilled produced were dry holes and both licences have since been relinquished;

Volumes of gas from the Kinsale area gas fields that have already been produced over the past three decades.

While I welcome debate on how Ireland can get best value from its natural resources, I remain of the view that we are best served where that debate is grounded in fact and reality.