Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)

While I would have liked to have tabled this question at the time the article in question was published, unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to do so. However, the Minister's answer was interesting. I do not subscribe to the simple school of thought that there is a substantial amount of oil and gas in Irish waters from which we could make loads of money. The proposal which the Minister described as "daft" is an interesting one and should be explored. Given that the State receives only a minuscule amount of money from exploration companies which find oil and gas in Irish waters, it is difficult to ascertain what are the benefits of the current approach. Companies which find oil and gas in Irish waters are not required to land their finds in this country and may transport them elsewhere. In such circumstances, the benefits to Ireland are minimal. Would it not be worthwhile to discuss this issue with the Norwegian Government, given its extensive expertise and substantial investment in this area? Surely it would be worth a try.

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