Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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290. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if the planning and environment regulations regarding environmental impact assessments in the regulatory framework here has been amended to comply with the EU directive, as was indicated by the previous Minister (details supplied), to remove obstacles to a foreshore licence application by providence resources to drill on the Kish Bank; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37449/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Planning and Development) Regulations 2014 and the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment) (Foreshore) Regulations 2014 gave further effect to Directive No. 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (the EIA Directive). The regulations were signed on 26 November 2014 and amend the Planning and Development Act 2000, the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 and the Foreshore Act 1933. Among other matters, the regulations corrected a fault in Ireland’s transposition of the EIA Directive insofar as it relates to deep drilling activities. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment has primary responsibility for the regulation of petroleum activities and I understand he also made regulations to amend relevant legislation in this regard.

The European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment) (Foreshore) Regulations 2014 provide that, where an application comes before me for a foreshore licence in respect of a petroleum project, it is not necessary for me carry out an environmental impact assessment of the project if the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment has already carried out an environmental impact assessment of the project, or intends to do so. In effect, the regulations streamline the regulatory regime such that a single environmental impact assessment of petroleum projects is carried out by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

No application for a foreshore licence in respect of oil and gas exploration at Kish Bank is currently on hands in my Department.