Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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599. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 202 of 12 November 2015 and given his statement regarding oral agreements in relation to petroleum prospecting licences, if the companies involved have ever been informed in writing that no such licences were required. [42486/15]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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600. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 202 of 12 November 2015 and in view of his acknowledgement of agreements being done orally with companies (details supplied) regarding petroleum prospecting licences, and the link with the Environmental Protection Agency research project, if any oral or tacit agreements have also been carried out in relation to the unconventional gas exploration and extraction research project currently under way. [42487/15]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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601. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 202 of 12 November 2015 and given his statement on oral agreements in relation to petroleum prospecting licences when these deals were made; who made them; and if the companies involved have formally accepted them. [42488/15]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 599 to 601, inclusive, together.

Pursuant to Section 9 of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960, it is a matter for the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to determine whether or not to grant a Petroleum Prospecting Licence when an application for such a licence is made. As set out in my response to Question No. 202 on 12 November, the then Minister did not agree to a recommendation to grant such a licence in the instances referred to by the Deputy. Under the legislation the decision is one for the Minister and the agreement of an applicant is not required.