Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to mention another matter for the benefit of the Deputies opposite who pointed out that the late Justin Keating correctly criticised the regime that was applied in a certain period. Deputy Rabbitte has already cleared that up by referring to the expectation in the 1970s that having struck gas on a number of occasions, we would have a plentiful supply in the future. It did not happen that way. The number of potential prospectors was not what was expected. The very good regime that was drawn up by the Government in the 1970s remained in place, but the bottom line is that there were no takers. We can have all the grandiose plans we like.

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