Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources with regard to the exploratory licence recently granted to a company (details supplied), when the drilling in Dublin Bay is due to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43741/12]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources with regard to the exploratory licence recently granted to a company (details supplied), when the drilling in Dublin bay is due to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43743/12]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources with regard to the exploratory licence recently granted to a company (details supplied), when the drilling in Dublin bay is due to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43742/12]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources with regard to the exploratory licence recently granted to a company (details supplied), when the drilling in Dublin bay is due to commence [43744/12]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 33, 37 and 41 together.

Standard Exploration Licence 2/11 was granted last year to a consortium comprising Providence Resources Plc and Star Energy Oil and Gas Ltd. The licence, which is a follow-on authorisation to Licensing Option 08/2, covers an area of approximately 380 square kilometres in the Kish Bank Basin off the Dublin/Wicklow coast. Star Energy’s stake in the licence is now held by PSE Seven Heads Limited.

The licence was granted for a six-year period and includes an obligation to drill an exploration well by 17th August 2014.

While my Department has not as yet received a detailed application from Providence Resources for approval to drill on the licence, I am aware that environmental and safety concerns have been raised about the proximity of the proposed well to Dublin Bay.

In this regard, I can assure the Deputy that drilling operators are required to comply with best international practice when carrying out drilling operations offshore Ireland. My Department will only give an approval to drill once it is satisfied that drilling operations can be carried out in a safe manner and without negative social or environmental impact.

Exploration Licence holders are required to engage a competent Independent Well Examiner to verify the safety of all drilling rigs, drilling equipment, pressure containment systems and drilling processes in advance of and during drilling operations. The well examiner has a role for as long as drilling operations continue and is required to verify any changes to drilling plans. Ongoing monitoring by the Independent Well Examiner, my Department’s Advisers and my Department’s technical specialists continues throughout the drilling of a well.