Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of the potential for oil and gas industries to exploit the natural resources which lie underneath our sea bed, if he has proposals to support such undersea exploitation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57840/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Government policy is to maximise the benefits to Ireland from exploration for and production of our indigenous oil and gas resources, while ensuring that activities are conducted safely and with due regard to their impact on the environment and other land/sea users

In recent years there has been some upturn in the level of interest in exploration off our coast, however, the potential of the Irish offshore as a petroleum producing region is largely unproven and this is likely to remain the case unless there is a significant increase in the level of exploration activity, in particular exploration drilling.

To this end, my Department encourages exploration investment through an active and targeted promotion campaign, regular licensing rounds and by supporting petroleum research projects that deepen knowledge of the petroleum potential of the Irish offshore. Last November, I announced that my Department had designed a major state-of-the-art seismic acquisition programme to provide a regional grid of high quality seismic data over our Atlantic frontier basins. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the procurement process for the survey is nearing completion with data acquisition planned for later this year. When complete, the survey will add to the understanding of the petroleum potential of our frontier basins and should provide a boost to our efforts to attract international mobile exploration investment to Ireland.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of the fact that a new federal study in the US has found the drilling practice known as fracking can trigger earthquakes and the US Geological Survey found that oil and gas operations caused the majority, if not all, earthquakes in certain areas of New Mexico and Colorado between 2001 and 2011, his views on allowing such practices to take place here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57865/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I have made it clear on a number of occasions that any application for an exploration licence that proposed the use of hydraulic fracturing as part of an unconventional gas exploration programme would be subject to a full environmental impact assessment. An Environmental Impact Assessment entails consideration of the potential impacts of a project on population, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, including the architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the inter-relationship between the above factors. Under the EIA Directive, it is not possible to permit a project unless it can be determined following assessment that it would not have an unacceptable environmental or social impact.

In this context, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has commenced a process to issue a public call in early 2013 inviting interested parties to tender for the offer of funding from both the EPA Strive Programme and my Department to conduct detailed research on the use of Unconventional Gas Exploration and Extraction in Ireland, in particular with regard to the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technology. The study follows on from the preliminary research into the environmental aspects of shale gas extraction, conducted by the University of Aberdeen, which was published by the EPA in May 2012.

The proposed terms of reference for this study have been developed and are currently the subject of a Public Consultation Process which was launched on 11 January 2013. Interested parties have been invited to submit written comments by 8 March 2013. Further details are available from the EPA website (www.epa.ie).

The offer of funding will be available to support research under three main areas:

- baseline characterisation (geological impacts)

- seismic impacts

- regulatory framework for environmental protection.

In regard to the research on seismic impacts, it is proposed that the research will include a review of historical and modern records of natural seismicity in Ireland, an assessment of the nature and magnitude of induced seismicity associated with hydraulic fracturing operations, with reference to North America and UK and a review of seismic risk control regimes. Recommendations for systems applicable to Ireland, with particular reference to case study areas, will also be made.

I wish to confirm that no applications have been made to my Department to date proposing the use of hydraulic fracturing in exploration drilling. Furthermore, until there has been time to consider this further research, the use of this technology in Ireland will not be authorised.