Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

It is amazing that, tonight, they trot out the Department's line. Given my association with the discussion that took place on the Corrib gas field, I am more familiar with it than most. If only to allay public disquiet, whether well-founded or not, what is to be lost by opening all the books? If the Government believes it has a watertight case, historically and in the terms offered for the future, what is to be lost by facilitating a thorough examination of this issue by an Oireachtas committee, seeing if the arguments the Department has traditionally made hold water and acting accordingly? Even if the Government is 100% convinced these are the best terms, we all have much to learn from discussion of these issues. I cannot understand why the Government would not go the extra mile, have this detailed debate and then persuade the public.

Everything that has been said tonight has been said before. I have read all of that documentation. I read the report that was produced before the former Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Éamon Ryan, made the changes in the exploration terms. However, the people are not convinced. Therefore, I ask both sides of the House, in the new dispensation that this Dáil promised, to consider, overnight, referring this matter to an Oireachtas committee with clear terms of reference, the resources and powers to carry out the examination and a fixed time limit within which to report. This is what I propose in my amendment. That would have three possible results.

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