Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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1336. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the process by which his Department assesses if a company granted a licence to explore or exploit offshore hydrocarbon resources under the petroleum affairs division is in keeping with its work programme commitments; and if there are penalties for falling behind in those commitments. [1998/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Authorisations to carry out hydrocarbon exploration and production activities in the Irish Offshore are granted under the Petroleum and other Minerals Development Act, 1960. The terms and conditions under which any such authorisation is granted are set out in the Licensing Terms for Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration, Development and Production 1992 and 2007 and in the authorisation instrument itself. Exploration authorisations, in particular, Licensing Options and Exploration Licences, are granted subject to an agreed work programme, the progress of which is monitored by my Department.

Progression from Licensing Option to Exploration Licence and between the individual phases of an Exploration Licence, is dependent upon fulfilment by the authorisation holder of its existing work programme obligations, and consideration by my Department of the authorisation holder's proposed work programme for the next phase of the Exploration Licence, and its capacity to undertake same. Occasionally there may be practical and logistical reasons why commitments may not be delivered within a certain period of time and each such case is considered on its merits with a view to delivering the objectives of the work programme.

It should also be noted that one of the criteria for consideration of an application for an exploration authorisation contained in the Licensing Terms is the previous performance by the applicant under any authorisation to which the applicant has been a party.