Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

If one is drilling two wells per annum, the prospect of making finds can be compared to finding a needle in a haystack. It is not a question of handing over to another country something that has, I hope, valuable potential for the State but of trying to strike the right balance to persuade exploration companies to come here. We do not have the investment required to establish a State oil company which would engage in exploration and drilling.

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