Update: Natural Resources, 24th June 2015

*  To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which an audit continues to be done in respect of the availability of natural resources and the extent to which such resources are likely to play a major part in the country’s economy in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – Bernard J. Durkan.

(1298  Received on 11th June, 2015.)

REPLY

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Alex White)
Given the breadth of my Department’s remit, no overall audit has been conducted on the availability of natural resources. However, at a sectoral level a substantive amount of research has been undertaken to establish technical and economic potential with a view to enhancing economic development.

The overarching objective of the Government’s energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers and the Green Paper published in 2014 provided an opportunity to evaluate policies in all aspects of the energy sector. A new Energy Policy Paper, which will set out Ireland’s energy policy up to 2030, is currently being developed. This policy also covers renewables.

Many renewable energy resources are at a research, development and demonstration stage globally. However, analysis has been conducted by my Department and its agencies in recent years which shows that there is significant potential across a range of renewable energy sources with policies tailored accordingly.

In relation to minerals, a biannual audit of mining operations is conducted under the minerals development acts to confirm the efficient extraction of mineral reserves. Prospecting licensees provide biennial reports of progress in efforts to locate minerals, which are vetted in advance of approval to continue exploration.

The Government’s strategy for the exploitation of the State’s natural hydrocarbon resources aims to maximise the level of exploration activity and increase the level of production activity, while ensuring a fair return to the State from these activities. It is important then that the State provide the right environment to encourage the industry to take the risk associated with investing in exploration. This is achieved by:

• offering attractive and innovative licensing opportunities, such as the 2015 Atlantic Margin licensing round;

• providing a fit-for-purpose, transparent and robust regulatory regime;

• deepening knowledge of our offshore petroleum potential, in particular through data acquisition and supporting key research projects; and

• actively promoting the opportunity to invest in exploration in the Irish offshore, in particular to companies not currently active here.

  
  Finally, in terms of the inland fisheries resource, scientific assessment from the independent Standing Scientific Committee and management advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is provided annually in respect of each of Ireland’s 142 salmon rivers. The conservation/exploitation balance is best achieved where fisheries target individual river-based stocks that have been shown to be at full reproductive capacity and capable of sustaining the genetically unique population of that individual river.

  IFI is currently preparing a National Angling Development Plan. Criteria are being developed which will assist individuals, communities and agencies to identify areas and angling products which can be developed to drive sustainable economic development.