Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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134. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the details of the issuance of an extended exploration licence to a company (details supplied); if this decision was subject to an analysis of the climate impacts of the potential extraction of fossil fuel in the field; if any analysis was carried out on the impact on Ireland’s climate targets and commitments under the Paris treaty; if he was given any legal advice that he was obliged to issue this licence; if any consideration was given to rejecting the application under the current terms and conditions of that licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57152/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Ministerial consent was granted to extend the first phase of the licence referred to in the Question to 31 January 2024. This was an extension to the duration of the first phase of an existing licence as opposed to a follow-on authorisation.  Section 6.1 of the Policy Statement on Petroleum Exploration and Production in Ireland published on 12 August 2022, in accordance with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 (and which is available at www.gov.ie/en/publication/3bcaf-policy-statement-on-petroleum-exploration-and-production-in-ireland/) relates to extensions to the term of an authorisations or phase.  As set out in the statement, the application was subject to a technical assessment and an assessment of the financial resources available to the applicant in order to undertake the relevant work programme, which is in line with the 2007 Licensing Terms of Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration, Development and Production.  I as Minister will continue to take into account the public interest when considering all applications for the variation of the duration of individual phases of exploration licences and or the overall term