Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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80. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of applications for open area exploration licences and licensing options received by his Department over the past five years; and the decision by his Department regarding each application in tabular form. [6819/21]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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81. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of offshore oil and gas exploration licences that are currently open by the date each application was received in tabular form. [6820/21]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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82. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of applications for extension to offshore oil and gas licensing terms received in his Department by month that the application was received and the decision by his Department in tabular form. [6821/21]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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83. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to make details regarding applications for oil and gas exploration public on his Department’s website; and if it will be updated monthly. [6822/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 to 83, inclusive, together.

My Department does not publish information on individual licence applications. However, information in relation to applications for activities proposed to be carried out under a petroleum authorisation that are subject to assessment of compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, is published by my Department as part of individual consultation processes.

In addition, Section 57 of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960 requires that I lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas every six months a report detailing all exploration activities, including petroleum exploration authorisations granted during the period of the report. The last such report laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas was in respect of the six-month period ending 31 December 2020. A report on the status of all petroleum authorisations is also published on a quarterly basis on gov.ie (). The most recent such report was published in respect of the three month period ending 31 December 2020.

The tables below contain the information sought in relation to the numbers of:

- applications for open area exploration licences in the last 5 years;

- applications for licensing options in the last 5 years;

- live exploration licences; and,

- current applications for extensions.

Exploration Licence Applications - Open Areas (Celtic Sea and Irish Sea)

Licensing Option Applications - Open Areas (Celtic Sea and Irish Sea)

Current Exploration Licences

Current Extensions Applications

A comparison of recent acreage reports will show the impact of recent regulatory changes.