Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
PLANS BY an exploration company to drill for oil in waters off Dalkey may be set back by the designation of some of the proposed oil field a special area of conservation.
The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, yesterday proposed that waters between Rockabill – two islands just off Skerries – and Dalkey Island be designated as a special area to conserve reefs between them, as well as to conserve the population of harbour porpoise.
“Average porpoise densities previously recorded from this area exceed densities recorded elsewhere in the Irish Sea and around the Irish coast, including the only existing sites designated for this species in Ireland,” the Department said.
Some of the area proposed to be designed is included in the waters which are proposed to be explored by Providence Resources in drilling for oil in the Kish Basin off Dalkey.
A foreshore licence allowing a survey of the well site, and the drilling of an exploratory well, was issued in October.
The designation of the special area comes under the EU habitats directive, which provides for the designation of certain areas as zones in which various flora or fauna can be nurtured.
Although the designation of the area does not itself restrict any operations there, the designation could hamper any application for a further foreshore licence to proceed with a larger exploration programme in the bay area.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
“Porpoise densities” you are having a laugh, could we not just be honest and say the people of leafy Dalkey don’t want some great big oil rig spoiling their view.
In the US they would drill for oil in the back yard of the State Governor’s Mansion. What’s wrong with us.
Its called EU law. In fact, its the Habitats Directive
Before even thinking of looking for more oil we first need to improve the deal regarding the states share in income accrued from oil discovery. Then I think we’d be better off looking to our atlantic waters where the sites would be a lot further from the coast than this Irish sea site is from Dalkey. The coastal area between Skerries and Dalkey is used leisurely by a lot of people all around Dublin.
It’s not a national issue if people in Dalkey can’t use part of Dublin bay for recreational use … Putting a drilling rig in relatively shallow/ relatively calm waters is a lot less likely to have a problem than in deep water in the middle of the atlantic, also the west coast is relatively unspoiled same can’t be said of Dublin bay … Any problem in Dublin bay would be noticed a lot quicker… That said I don’t see any money in it for Ireland at the moment so leave it there…
Hilarious. Im wondering if a government minister tried to put a conservation order on the oil in mayo, i doubt it. These people should be given the same treatment that the government of this country gave the people of mayo. This oil should be taken ashore as soon as possible and get the money into ireland and get us out of the hole we are in asap.
Fine, except the people of ireland wont see much of the money. The government has seen fit to practically give it away and they can write off most of the tax against exploration costs. May as well leave it in the ground for all the benefit it’ll bring us.
In fact there are several protected areas in and around the Shell pipeline project in Mayo. Check out http://www.npws.ie/ for maps.
Short term gain against long term loss.
as far as I know Richard is right we will not benefit from this, oil corporations run rings around governments and politicians because they know they always go for the soundbites and photo ops and believe all their moaning about risk expense etc which is a load of tosh we should make sure that we benefit from any of our resources not the speculators ,play hard ball after all its not the politicians to give away it belongs to the people of ireland
Fcuk the porpoise. We need the oil
what oil? this an exploratory test drilling license
+1 why cant everyone in ireland just see the benefit of all this oil and gas rather than take the “not in my back yard” mentality
The media when citing this story always make out it’s Dalkey NIMBY’s protesting but it’s actually an issue for everyone. A little research and you’ll find the whole thing stinks – apart from the serious environmental concerns, very little financial benifit will go beyond the big business who now own this former potential national resourse. A report from the journal.ie outlining some of the concerns, not for leafy Dalkey but for everyone would be appreciated in the name of ‘the public interest’.
Bob i didnt hear you voicing your opinion when it happened in mayo. just because its on your doorstep now, it suddenly becomes a national problem.
did you not?
Bob you should stop getting your news from shell2sea or indymedia , the oil pipeline , dalkey drilling and leitrim fracking are all positive things , ireland needs the money and the oil
Shouldn’t the IRISH coastline be designated an area of special conservation?
If that means the oil companies can stay but the spanish fishermen have to sod off then alright
yes Bob i did, but when your against the government, the prawn sandwich brigade and people who see no evil hear no evil when its not on your doorstep, its a losing battle as you will soon find out. I will watch this space with anticipation.
I think you have me confused with someone, or just prone to assuming. All I’m asking is to have media present all details of this episode, or any story that is in the public interest, without slant or bias or detraction and let people decide for themselves. 6 km off the shore makes it Dublin bay not Dalkey – not that it relates to the issue but I don’t, or ever have, live in Dalkey.
Bob, im mearly pointing out the facts, you now realise that it is happening in “dublin bay”. So what!! Do you expect people from mayo and other rural areas of ireland to join the dalkey heads and dublinites and protest together all the way up to dail eireann. Wake up. Im thinkin of a good show for discovery, Dublin Bay Oil Riggers maybe.
pearls, swine.
What’s the matter with you scutterpumps? Why are you discrediting this? Are you against oil or what?
Despite the fact that these waters are a shipping lane, full of wildlife and the most populous coastline on the island…..it will never happen. Skerries and Dalkey? 1/2 the population of these areas are Ireland’s rich and famous, they’ll never let it happen.
It was the oil company that chose the name Dalkey perhaps to invoke the “leafy Dalkey” reactions.
So please stop working for the Oil company and drop the word Dalkey out of the equation, the immediate area effected is Dublin Bay & South Wicklow.
The truth is that environmentally it is an issue that effects firstly the entire Dublin / Wicklow coast. In particular Dublin Bay which could be destroyed from an oil leak within 2 hours, due to the fact that the rig is in shallow waters only 4 miles from the shore. No matter where you are in the country Dublin is your city too and its your capital. If this is allowed to happen here then it could happen anywhere, if you take the capital then everything else is a lot easier.
The jack up rigs are also much more dangerous than the conventional rigs especially in such shallow waters within 4 miles of the shore. In addition the Irish coastguard is responsible for any clean-up both logistically and financially. We don’t have the right equipment or resources.
Also there would be many people in Dublin that would protest against a rig going anywhere on our coast at such a close proximity, this is the first example. So please people outside Dublin get informed about what is happening in Dublin and people in Dublin please get informed about what is happening elsewhere in particular Mayo, where the media has not been getting the correct picture to us.
Financially its an issue that effects the entire country, we have the worst arrangement with oil companies in the world only second to Cameroon so we take a massive risk but gain next to nothing due to the low taxation of 25% and the right off scheme, in Norway the rate is above 75%. Also what would an oil leak in Dublin Bay do for our economy ?
Big risk & No Gain!
With regard to public consultation there was just 3 notices quietly placed in 3 Garda stations in January with only 21 working days notice to object. If the full licence was to go ahead you could see rigs anywhere between Howth and Greystones between 1 and 3 miles from the shore, that is just insane. So please again drop the word Dalkey its misinforming the public and playing into divisive strategy’s that an exploration company could exploit. At the very least call it Dublin Bay.
I think its time to stop pitting region against region its not healthy and its the kind of pattern than oil exploration companies like to nurture and exploit. We should nationally and together be demanding: 1 better public consultation/engagement, 2 proper environmental protection and 3 more favourable fiscal terms
Thank you !
Ryan, fair play with your info. Just goes to show, the political clout these residents have. So if there are protected areas in and around the shell pipeline in Mayo and it went ahead, there is a precedence in law, so jimmy denehan is wasting public money on this matter. Maybe Enda can nip this in the bud.
He’s not wasting money, we are required under EU law to designate and protect these habitats. The point about Mayo is that these designations are unlikely to be intended to scupper oil exploration or anything else, although the practical impact is that the developers will have to abide by more stringent conditions.
james wyse. Can you explain what am i discrediting? Who said i was against oil.
have your say