Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to develop an Irish knowledge base that can participate in the Irish oil or gas activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48079/12]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I would like to advise the Deputy that my Department maintains an extensive national archive of definitive petroleum exploration and production data on industry activities carried out in Ireland.

All operators and contractors are required to submit all technical data and information relating to all authorisations, drilling activities and exploration surveys to my Department. In order to promote and assist effective exploration and production in Ireland, much of this data is made available to exploration companies for purchase through my Department’s data agents, contact details for which are available on my Department’s website.

The importance and value of this major assist is recognised by both the industry and the research community.