Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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373. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of oil, gas or other mineral exploration licences issued in each of the past five years to date; the number of such options already taken up by the applicants; the extent to which commercially viable deposits have been discovered; the economic benefit accruing therefrom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20406/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The number of Mineral Prospecting Licences and Petroleum Exploration Licences granted in each year between 1 January 2009 and to date in 2013 is set out in the following table:

Licences granted during period 2009 – 2013 (to date)

While there have been no new commercial discoveries of oil or gas in the Irish onshore or offshore in the past five years, the drilling of an appraisal well on the Barryroe prospect in the Celtic Sea has shown encouraging results. More work will be required to determine if the discovery is actually commercial. It is not clear at this stage how long this process will take. While no new commercially viable deposits of minerals have been discovered recently, there have been some encouraging results, particularly in Counties Limerick and Clare. However, it is too early to determine whether these results will lead to identification of commercially viable deposits or to estimate the economic benefits that might accrue.