Republican News · Thursday 10 October 2002

Sinn Féin to raise exploration licences

Sinn Féin Natural Resources spokesperson, Martin Ferris TD, says the party will raise former Energy and Communications Minister Ray Burke's role in the issuing of oil and gas exploration licences when the Dáil meets this week to discuss the fallout from the Interim Report of the Flood Tribunal.

"The 1987 changes made by Burke in the terms on offer to the multinationals were so radical and took place in such circumstances as to warrant similar scrutiny as that already devoted to his role in planning and other matters," said Ferris. "By effectively abolishing the state's financial interest in the massive reserves that lie off its shores, Burke at the very least made a huge political and economic blunder. At worst it calls into question the nature of his and Fianna Fáil's relationship with the oil and gas multinationals."