asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if he will now confirm that the reserves of natural gas at the Seven Heads field, Kinsale, County Cork is considerably in excess of the present estimate of those reserves and if he will make a statement on the matter.

My Department's reserve estimates on the Seven Heads prospect are based substantially on information which is confidential to the Department and to Esso-Marathon and consequently the actual figures may not be published. An extensive re-examination of this prospect was put in hands in my Department recently and the report is now almost completed. The preliminary indications are that the Department's previous estimates of recoverable reserves will not be significantly increased.

Is it not a fact that the reserves have been discussed in public on a number of occasions and by officials in the Minister's Department and that they are not confidential because they are a matter of public knowledge? Is it not also a fact that the present re-testing of reserves was initiated by the previous Government and that there are indications that the reserves are substantially in excess of the present public figure?

I am aware that figures have been quoted in the newspapers in relation to the reserves and that the original estimate has been increased in recent times. The report I mentioned will indicate whether there should be a further raising of the estimates.

Will the Minister indicate when the report will be on his desk and if, in view of the public importance of the information to be contained in it, the updated reserves will be published?

I expect to have the report shortly.

What is the significance of the change in policy here? As the former Minister of State correctly remarked, we went public at official and ministerial level on any revised figures on the reserves in the field. What is the reason for this about-turn in policy in relation to the confidentiality of the revised figures?

When I receive the up-to-date report I will make a decision on the matter.

Would the Minister not agree that previous practice has been to release these figures because the public are entitled to know what the figures are?

When I receive the report I will deal with the matter.

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