Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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200. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way that he intends to support the eight new Ireland gas-fired power plants with natural gas supplies from Ireland to protect us depending on imports, via Scotland or the European network which is already under pressure. [51548/22]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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201. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will identify the location, backer, technology, megawatt output for the eight new gas-fired power plants and the stage of development for each development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51549/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Single Electricity Market (SEM) is the wholesale electricity market for the island of Ireland. The SEM is regulated by the SEM Committee. The SEM Committee comprises the two energy regulators, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) and Northern Ireland’s Utility Regulator and an independent member.The operation and administration of the Single Electricity Market is managed by the Single Electricity Market Operator. Information on capacity auctions and timetables etc. is available in the public domain via the SEMO website: www.sem-o.com/

As the Single Electricity Market is operated independently from me as Minister and my Department, the oversight of its operation is a matter for the regulatory authorities.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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202. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has determined the viability of gas reservoirs in nearby areas of the Mayo coast already licensed for exploration that have the potential to tie into Corrib Gas existing infrastructure allowing gas to be brought ashore with minimum disruption. [51550/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As a condition of petroleum authorisations, the holders of such authorisations are required to carry out technical work programmes in order to evaluate the prospectivity of the licenced area and to report the results of work programmes to the Geoscience Regulation Office of my Department. The holders of the exploration authorisations in the Slyne Basin, in nearby areas of the Mayo coast adjacent to the producing Corrib gas field, have mapped prospects in their licensed areas but have not drilled any wells on the authorisations. As such, exploration on the authorisations is in the early stages. While the Geoscience Regulation Office in my Department reviews the results of the agreed work programmes it does not carry out its own evaluation of the viability of reservoirs at the early stages of exploration in the licensed areas.