据全球能源新闻网2019年9月23日伦敦报道，爱尔兰总理利奥·瓦拉德卡尔周一在纽约访问期间对采访他的爱尔兰媒体记者表示，爱尔兰计划冻结在本国水域发放新的石油勘探许可证，但不冻结发放天然气勘探许可证。

瓦拉德卡尔说，他将在联合国气候峰会上宣布“爱尔兰也将拒绝在爱尔兰水域发放任何新的石油勘探许可证(尽管新的天然气开采许可证将继续发放)。”

《爱尔兰时报》和《观察家报》的记者也报道了瓦拉德卡尔的这一评论。瓦拉德卡尔的发言人没有立即回应记者的置评请求。

李峻 编译自 全球能源新闻

原文如下：

Ireland to Freeze New Offshore Oil Exploration Licences

Ireland plans to freeze the issuing of new exploration licences for oil in Irish waters but not for gas, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told journalists on Monday during a visit to New York, Irish media reported.

Varadkar said he would announce at a U.N. climate summit "that Ireland will also decline to issue any new exploration licences for oil in Irish waters (though new licences for gas will continue to be issued)," Virgin TV News reporter Gavan Reilly said in a Twitter post.

Reporters for the Irish Times and Examiner newspapers also reported the comments. A spokesman for Varadkar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.