Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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120. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will extend the submission period for observations and objections to the granting of a prospecting licence (details supplied). [45123/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Minerals Development Acts 1940 to 1999 require 21 days' public notice of the Minister’s intention to grant a prospecting licence and for the receipt of any submissions. In practice and in line with Environmental Impact Assessment Directive guidance, this public consultation period is extended to thirty days for the receipt of submissions. This public consultation was open from 3 August 2022 to 3 September 2022. The thirty-day public notice of the intention to grant the prospecting licence in question was published on gov.ie, local newspapers, the Kanturk and Kenmare Garda Stations, Cork and Kerry County Council offices and in the office of the Geological Survey Ireland.

An extension to the completed thirty-day public consultation is not being considered by my Department.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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121. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of prospecting licences that he has granted since taking office, including the locations covered by each licence. [45125/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Eighty-nine Prospecting Licences have been granted since I took office in June 2020. These Prospecting Licences are located in Counties Carlow, Cavan, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Meath, Monaghan, Tipperary, Waterford, and Wexford. Information on Prospecting Licences is available in the six-monthly reports to the Oireachtas on Mineral Exploration and Mining in Ireland, accessible on gov.ie and the Oireachtas Library. Prospecting Licence Area information is also available on a publicly available online map viewer www.gov.ie/en/service/2f592-map-viewer/.