Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will confirm if any applications for an extension of the existing onshore licensing options have been received by his Department and the closing date for same. [9325/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The three onshore licensing options granted in February 2011 are for a two year period from 1st March 2011 to 28th February 2013. The licensing options confer upon the holders the first right, exercisable at any time during the period of the option, to an application for an exploration licence or licences over all or part of the area covered by the option. Under the terms of the licensing competition the duration of the licensing options cannot be extended. I can confirm that two of the companies concerned have recently submitted applications for follow-on exploration licences.

As I have confirmed to the House on a number of previous occasions, no decision will be made on any proposal for the use of hydraulic fracturing in exploration drilling in Ireland until there has been time to consider the outcome of further research to be commissioned by the EPA in this area.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the office of the Minister of State has been delegated powers to grant Onshore Exploration Licences. [9326/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The Energy and Natural Resources (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No.2) Order 2011, (S.I. 631 of 2011), delegates powers and duties under, inter alia, the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960 (No.7 of 1960), to Deputy Fergus O’Dowd, Minister of State at my Department. This delegation confers the power to Minister of State O’Dowd to grant Exploration Licences.

The Deputy will appreciate that in accordance with Section 2(2)(e) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment)(No. 2) Act 1977 every statutory power or duty delegated continues to be vested in the Minister of the Government on whose request the delegation was made.