Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

If it is considered that our fiscal terms are a giveaway, I ask Deputy Colreavy to explain why our coastline is not black with ships exploring the Irish offshore. If our tax regime is so favourable to those who engage in prospecting and exploring, why is that work not under way? We have been drilling less than two wells per annum, on average, for the last dozen years. At that rate of drilling, it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

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