Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Every time I ask a question on climate change, I can locate it in the context of another climate disaster or global event of climate and weather extremity. This week, we saw such extremes in the USA and the far east and the absolute destruction to life and planet they have caused. That is why I bang on about this all the time. Our situation and the threat to our planet and our lives on it are not getting better. The situation is increasingly getting worse and the evidence is out there.

I ask the Minister of State this question again to highlight an issue that was brought to the fore at the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment's discussion of my Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018, which took place on 2 July 2018. Dr. Amanda Slevin pointed out at the meeting that the way in which we issue licences and extensions means that private companies such as Providence can effectively lay claim to huge tracts of the ocean bed for long periods. There is a labyrinthine process of extending licences and leaseholds of which companies take advantage. On top of that, we heard about Ireland's very generous tax regime for oil and gas companies. If they do actually make any finds, the State gains very little financially as a result of that tax regime.

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