Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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1041. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number and type of licences and seismic survey activities for which he has exercised his power under the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Petroleum Exploration) Regulations 2013 to request an environmental impact assessment, EIA, or a stage 2 appropriate assessment, AA, for exploration activities; the number of seismic surveys and licences that have been determined as requiring an EIA or stage 2 AA by month, year and area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25689/18]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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1042. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number and type of exploration activities for which he has exercised his power under the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Petroleum Exploration) Regulations 2013 to request an Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, or stage 2 appropriate assessment, AA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25690/18]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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1043. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has conducted a cumulative analysis of seismic impacts on Irish sea life from 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018. [25691/18]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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1044. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount of seismic surveys that have been conducted in Irish waters since 2011; the level of environmental assessment each received; if powers under European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Petroleum Exploration) Regulations 2013 to request an EIA or stage 2 AA for exploration activities were exercised; if these assessments included a cumulative assessment of seismic activity over a number of years by year, month, area and licence or permission (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25692/18]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1041 to 1044, inclusive, together.

In advance of the 2015 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round, the Irish Offshore Strategic Environmental Assessment 5 process was undertaken by my Department and included consideration of potential environmental impacts which may arise specifically as a result of petroleum exploration activities.

Any exploration activity proposed to be carried out under a petroleum authorisation (e.g. a seismic survey or drilling of a well) is subject to assessment of compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive.

Geophysical surveys (which include seismic surveys) do not fall under Annex I or II of the EIA Directive as amended. However, such surveys fall to be assessed under the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Petroleum Exploration) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 134/2013). An assessment is carried out based on the information included in the application to determine whether a survey would require preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report if it is considered that it would result in significant effects on the environment by virtue, inter alia, of the nature, size and location of the survey.

Applications for seismic surveys are considered against a range of technical and environmental considerations, and in respect of environmental considerations the procedures are as follows:

The applicant must submit an Environmental Risk Assessment and a Natura Impact Screening (Appropriate Assessment) Statement in support of the application to commence surveying activities including consideration of cumulative effects. These documents are made available on my Department's website.

The Environmental Risk Assessment is reviewed for my Department by an independent consultancy, with the required expertise in ecological and conservation marine biology, to assess whether or not it meets the scope and quality of requirements set out or implied by the specific European and Irish Environmental Impact Assessment legislation and guidelines.

The independent consultancy also reviews the Natura Impact Screening Statement to ensure that the requirements of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations, 2011 for an assessment to be carried out on any plan or project likely to have a significant effect on a protected site or species have been met. In addition, the National Parks and Wildlife Service is requested to provide its observations in terms of Natura 2000 sites, where relevant, and Annex IV species (Cetaceans) in accordance with the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC).

Following receipt of these reviews a determination is made as to whether an Environmental Impact Assessment Report or a stage 2 Appropriate Assessment is required. The determination is published on my Department's website.

Any observations received from prescribed bodies, interested parties or the general public regarding the potential environmental effects of the activity proposed in the application are considered as part of the consent decision making process.

The following table outlines seismic surveys carried out in the Irish offshore over the period 2011 to date.

In the period 2011 to date individual seismic survey and drilling applications have been determined as not requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment Report or a Stage 2 Appropriate Assessment.

In evaluating applications for consent to undertake a seismic survey consideration is given to the potential cumulative effects of the survey.

All consented surveys must comply with temporal restrictions and risk management measures as well as MMO visual-based detection, as contained in "Guidance to Manage the Risk to Marine Mammals from Man-made Sound Sources in Irish Waters", produced by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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1045. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of seismic surveys that will be conducted in 2018 in Irish waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25693/18]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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No application to conduct a seismic survey in the Irish Offshore in 2018 has been received or consented to. The following applications to conduct site surveys in the Irish Offshore in 2018 are currently under consideration:

- Application submitted by Providence Resources Plc to conduct a Seabed Debris Clearance, Environmental Baseline and Habitat Assessment Site Survey on Frontier Exploration Licence 6/14. The proposed site survey includes a geophysical survey element; and

- Application submitted by Shell Exploration and Production Ireland Ltd to conduct geophysical and visual Corrib Subsea Inspection, Maintenance and Infrastructure Renewal Surveys.

Details of these applications are available on my Department's website.