COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 11, 2008

QUESTION NO. 4

QUESTION: Councillor T. McDermott

To ask the Manager to outline the legal implications regarding:

1. Exploration within the county for deep geothermal energy;

2. Ownership of the energy recovered.

3. To identify and other potential legal issues regarding deep geothermal energy.

REPLY:

In a recent reponse to a parliamentary question (see Q90) in the Dail the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources referred to the requirement for a the need to implement a regulatory and administrative regime that would provide for the orderly development of geothermal energy and in particular the investigation of the myriad complex issues in relation to ownership and access that would need to be addressed in this context.

The Minister went on to annouce the convening of a Departmental group to investigate and address this issue. This group will carry out a stakeholder consultation early in the course of their work and is expected to be launched early in the New Year. The group is to report back to the Minister as early as possible in the first half of 2008.

Given this national context, it is proposed that the findings of this Departmental group would be considered by the Environment Strategic Policy Committee and the Economic Development (incl Planning and Development) Strategic Policy Committee once they are available.