Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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1556. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 517 of 19 May 2015, if the three companies granted options licences were not searching for petroleum, as defined as gas, oil and so on in the 1960 Mineral Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31841/15]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Section 6 of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960 details the type of authorisation that must be held by a person that is searching for petroleum. Where the holder of a Licensing Option has agreed a work programme that involves searching for petroleum, then a Petroleum Prospecting Licence must also be held. As stated in my reply to Question No. 517 of 15 May, the work programmes being progressed did not involve interventions that would require a Petroleum Prospecting Licence under the 1960 Act.