Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

This Sunday, Irish people will be remembering with pride and celebrating the 1916 Easter Rising. Beidh comóraidh agus cuimhneacháin ag ár bpáirtí, Sinn Féin, timpeall na hÉireann. Beimid ag ceiliúradh ní hamhaín na fir agus na mná a fuair bás ag an uair stairiúil sin, ach freisin an Phoblacht agus Forógra na Poblachta i 1916.The Proclamation asserts "We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible." Several years later, the programme of the First Dáil gave expression to that statement when it declared that the nation's sovereignty extends not only to all the men and women of the nation but to all its material possessions, the nation's soil and all its resources.

Is trua nach bhfuil an aidhm seo bainte amach ar mhaithe na ndaoine agus go bhfuil gnóthaí dona déanta ag Rialtais éagsúla ó shin. During the past two decades in particular there have been few more disgraceful examples of the corrupt relationship between business, the golden circle and the political system than the manner in which a small group of politicians have given away our natural resources to multinationals. The €80 billion EU and IMF bailout is dwarfed by the enormous value of this State's potential oil and gas reserves, as well as base metals and fisheries.

In 2006 the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources estimated that the amount of gas and oil off Ireland's west coast is the equivalent of a potential 10 billion barrels of oil. This is worth, at today's price, up to €700 billion. In addition, a failure to invest in developing sustainable energies and forestry and protecting our fishing rights has denied the State valuable sources of employment and much-needed revenue. Decades of mismanagement and dishonest decisions by successive Governments have resulted in a handover of our natural resources to multinational companies with little benefit to the Irish people.

It was a Fianna Fáil Minister, former Deputy Ray Burke, who introduced new licensing terms in 1987 and abolished royalties and State participation in the exploration of our oil and gas reserves. Companies were given 100% tax write-offs for exploration and development costs. Perhaps that is a subject for investigation. This was reinforced five years later when the then Finance Minister, former Deputy Bertie Ahern, reduced corporation tax on oil profits to 25% and new licensing terms which were beneficial to the multinationals.

In addition, the eagerness with which the State has acquiesced to the demands of the oil companies is exemplified in its attitude to the people of Rossport and north Mayo. There have been heavy-handed tactics by the Garda and Shell employees against people protesting in defence of their homes and land. Local people have been arrested and imprisoned, and there is the recent example of two young women arrested, with allegations of improper behaviour by several gardaí. That incident must be thoroughly investigated, as should the policing strategy and tactics being employed by An Garda Síochána. The operation of policing the site has cost the State more than €20 million. Ar lá an toghcháin, shínigh an tAire Fianna Fáil, Pat Carey, an socrú deiridh maidir le líne píopa na Coiribe. Rinne Aire Fine Gael, Phil Hogan, an rud céanna tamall ó shin.

The exploitation of the Corrib gas field also illustrates the failure of Government to have a sensible partnership agreement with the exploration company which looks after the interests of citizens. Corrib will bring little or no benefit either to the local community or to the Irish people. In addition and to add insult to injury, the harvested gas will be sold to Bord Gáis at the market rate; having given it all away and made large profits for the companies, we must buy back the gas at the market rate.

Let nobody seeking to defend the current status quo claim that any change to the existing financial arrangements would scare off the multinationals. There are a number of governments around the world, including Russia and most recently Egypt, which have rewritten agreements with the oil companies to take a greater share of the profits and the multinationals have not walked away. It is not too late to challenge the bad practice and decisions of the past. This Government, on behalf of citizens, should now move to acquire a majority State shareholding in our oil and gas. It should introduce an effective and just taxation and royalty regime which ensures that this State can have the financial resources to get rid of the State debt and regain our economic sovereignty by ending the involvement of the EU, IMF and ECB in our affairs.

Is í an tír seo an t-aon tír ar domhain a d'aimsigh gás as a gcósta is a thug é in aisce. A sensible exploitation strategy would also provide the funding necessary to create jobs and build a first-class public service infrastructure fit for purpose for the 21st century. The Sinn Féin motion recognises this and I appeal to every Deputy in this House to set aside party political allegiances, recognise that the Sinn Féin motion is seeking a better deal for the Irish people and to support it. The Government should move on it. Fine Gael is by its nature a conservative party but Labour, even in a previous manifestation as the Workers' Party, was right on the issue at that stage. It should not be wrong now.

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