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SOME 55,000 CHILDREN went to their creches and playschools this morning in their pyjamas to raise funds for the Irish Hospice Foundation’s home care programme.
The programme provides support to families caring for their seriously ill child at home. This is the 11th National Pyjama Day organised by Early Childhood Ireland and it has raised over €2 million for children’s charities.
Speaking today, CEO of IHF Sharon Foley said: “National Pyjama Day is one of the biggest fundraisers for the IHF and, thanks to children, parents and childcare professionals all over Ireland, €700,000 has been raised for our Hospice Home Care for Children programme so far.”
“This wonderful fundraising initiative has been essential in creating a new Hospice Home Care for Children programme and it is changing how care for sick children is being delivered,” she added.
Danú Preschool, Rathmore, Co Kerry
This is why lobbying buy big businesses and political donations from the same should be banned. A shambles, can’t even implement the weak terms suggested by a bought oireachtas committee
If we were offering a good deal energy companies would be looking for supplies in Ireland.
There not.
Trying to make money in the energy industry is pointless. It’s an endless money pit. You will never ever ever find anything and even if you do you’ll never make a penny. Almost impossible to bring on shore. Expect a decade of delays and the budget tripling.
You would be better off burning cash in bonfire.
We don’t have the skills or tools needed to drill for and process gas and oil so we have to keep the politics of jealousy out of it and do some serious negotiation. The team of schoolteachers in the Dail are not up to this task.
That’s why people who have the expertise are hired. We don’t need a multi-national corporation to take our resources while only paying a pretty insignificant amount of tax. They have no interest in using the resources to benefit the Irish people, just themselves
Danny,
One of the big problems to the irish Government setting up an oil company isn’t just the expertise, but the big companies have the patents for both surveying and extracting.
They have spent the money and years in research to develop these patents. They won’t just hand them over to a State to use.
The argument on forums in Ireland is so simplistic. It’s not a simple case of setting up a company and starting to drill.
How will you find the oil?
Once found, how will you extract it?
How will you process the crude?
All of these processes would require using existing patents, owned by the oil companies.
Utter nonsense , we do have the expertise and the know how to drill for our own oil , Irish people have been working in this industry for years , what we don’t have is the political will ,fore site to to do so . We will see no return from this new so called deal with the oil and gas companies .
Yes I’m sure we have the expertise.
What processes are we going to use? What equipment?
Are we going to spend years in R&D developing our very own processes and equipment?
How long will that take?
How much will it cost?
Who’s going to pay for this considering that it will take years to develop our own patented processes and equipment with no return before we even start surveying, let alone finding and extracting?
As I said, it far too simplistic to simply say we should just do it ourselves.
Answer the above questions and the ones I posed earlier and you will make yourself billions.
As one of the very numerous Irish working abroad in oil & gas I agree with you Keith, we have plenty of guys in all areas of expertise working all over the world in the sector, most of whom would happily return home to work in our own industry. Anyone that argues otherwise doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
Danny, as far as our government not being able to handle it, the Norwegian government did generously offer to help us in starting up before, as they were in the same situation when they discovered oil, but our government turned them down saying they didn’t have enough experienced people, which is a foolish thought what with thousands of us working in the sector all over the world.
The Norwegians refund 80% of an unsuccessful drill. Which is 98% of all Irish exploration. So yeah we are not generous.
Of course we have lots of people working abroad who have great skills, I worked in the Gulf when I was younger but the skilled people are as stated abroad not here and unless they are homesick or very patriotic would be nuts to come back to work for buttons and to be taxed to death as well. Then first we have to find oil/gas for them to work with and given the experience with Corrib it could take forever to get going. The fact that we are not fracking shows how dedicated to working our own resources we are.
Yes but don’t these patents have a 13 year life span, what’s our rush
The state will take no part in oil production….what sort of negotiators have we got, why do we always screw things up? Is there anyone in the government who has the first idea how to deal with international companies? God save Ireland !
Where are there confirmed oil fields in Irish waters? None have been discovered as of yet. The only oil for sure under Irish soil is in Co Louth…rumoured to be more than in the Gulf States…
Do you have a link for that Kris or am I missing some sarcasm… serious question. I have never heard that there was oil under Louth.
As a lay person, I’m always dumbfounded by the fact that Ireland cannot extract, process and supply natural resources to which it has (had) full entitlement. Instead it rolls over like a yes-man to giant multi-nationals and scampers around their feet for whatever scraps fall thereabouts.
How has this become the norm?
Yes anytime the government sets up something without any help from the private sector it becomes efficient, well run, in no way over staffed and fit for purpose.
Every other tax in this country can be set in the annual budget, why can they not increase the rate charged on oil profits?
Ireland should have just copied and paste what the Norwegian government did. End of.
Norway had proven reserves. We don’t. End of.
And this is the point people miss. The cost of exploration is massive. It has to be attractive to companies to get them to find the oil in the first place…
Norway too at one point had no proven reserves. We should literally copy exactly what they did. Euro for euro % by %.
Im not an expert but I did read that geologically speaking, we are less disposed to find oil then Norway was. It was a scientific likelihood for them whereas there are no such signs here.
That’s true I have seen some of the geology and there is very little guarantee of anything. The surveys point towards some liquid deposits but its the next stage that’s expensive. Drilling and vessels and operating in the harsh ocean. Millions to drill and see if the possibility is actually liquid gold. quite a risky business but the returns are still massive if successful. If hence risk hence research.
Are you sure? Because Norway refunds 80% of a unsuccessful drill ( because they have oil).
So if he we copied the Norwegians we would owe the oil companies hundred of millions if not billions.
No David I was sure on the uncertainty of finding oil. Norway is not the same geologically as ireland so we can do the same. No way there should be a refund of drilling as it’s a private and risky venture. We don’t though, the new system is designed that If a site is successful it will pay a higher rate, there is a report on it just released today see DCNR
Sorry can’t
I think you missed my point.
Norway, high probability of success, refund if you don’t, very high tax on profits. They essentially turned the majors into contractors. Ireland can’t do that because we have no oil. We should not have high taxes on the oil industry.
We can always change it the day more than one company bids on a block.
Eh not sure I think I agree with you David, Norway has and had oil Ireland has an opportunity with associated risk. I think each requires a different tax regrime. Ireland latest seems sensible it’s lowish and then if deemed successful a higher tax kicks in.
Norway piggybacked on the British opening up of the North Sea gas and oil fields, they did not go in blindfolded but they have more realistic people in charge and in addition to oil/gas they have nuclear power and are leading the field in the race to developed Thorium reactors. They also have coal reserves running into thousands of billions of tons, we can’t even get at our shale gas. If someone was to come here and invest time and money in exploration the begrudgers would worry more about how much they were making out of it and forget the risk that was taken.
Norway have thorium?! Nope. They generate almost all their electricity from renewables. They are fortunate with excellent hydro electric rivers.
Thorium does not yet exist as a proven technology. Come back when it does. Also on fracking I really don’t think it will suit ireland or be accepted. It’s difficult to see how fracking can be totally contained, very different industry and locations allow it in America with a closed book on what chemicals are allowed. Don’t see it happening in ireland. Lets concentrate on what we have and I am afraid it’s what you dispise foggie -renewable resources.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Norwegian government would help our one if they were approached by them
They are involved in the Corrib fiasco.
I was present at this announcements today and frankly people need realise how little return there may be on some of these patches. Some 200 million was spent on one campaign and if returned nothing. We could critise if we giving away resources but the government is actually trying to stimulate interest as the internationals are not that pushed on Ireland at the moment. Not to mention the hassle and fisco of corrib. If you want to harvest the best resource in the Atlantic? Well one the waves but not yet achievable so two, the wind. Offshore wind is a bigger and more proven resource than any currently available. Also it never runs out. Need a transition from fossil fuel not a reliance.
How long have you been working in the ‘wind power’ industry?
Not one day, I have spent the last two years at upskilling and currently pursuing a masters. So I would hope I am qualified enough to comment on the industry.
I’ve no doubt the 55% that they pay on their profits, won’t be the same, percentage wise, as the 55% they take from my wages!!
Look at the Norwegian model. It’s there for us to suit our needs. Statoil do what they’re told when operating within Norway.
Statoil is two thirds owned by the Norwegian Government and after seeing the carry-on here will hardly be in a rush to have any more involvement unless it’s on very favourable terms.
That model works because there was guaranteed oil. We do not have that luxury…
I think my point has been missed. When the old statoil was established by the Norwegians in the early 70s they were exploration & production virgins similar to ourselves. They were setup for numerous reasons, mainly to build competence and knowledge within Norway (& for Norway) re Oil & Gas exploration and production. My point is that the statoil model worked for the Norwegians and we are at similar stage in our journey.
Wonder will Brian and Denis over at Topaz take up these new terms?
An insult to the irish people Pat Rabbit should resign the model to develop our oil and gas resources is on the Norwegian Model it is time this government to wake up. Follow your predecessor Keating and use his principles to guide you.
What oil reserves?
In all fairness to Pat Rabbitte, he was one of the founders of the Resources Protection Campaign when he was President of USI in the nineteen-seventies. The RPC did encouraged the then Coalition Government and Justin Keating, the relevant minister, to reverse the incredibly generous terms granted by previous Fianna Fail Governments. Since then various policies have been tried with mixed results. Marathon successfully developed the Kinsale Fields off Cork and Shell has developed the Corrib Field pioneered by Enterprise off Mayo. However the controversy surrounding the Corrib Gas Terminal has undoubtably discouraged further investment in the offshore Irish oil and gas industry. Hundreds of millions have been spent drilling elsewhere offshore Ireland with disappointing results. In view of the deepening crises in the Middle East and the Ukraine, security of oil and gas supply takes a higher priority. It therefore makes sense for the Government to review current policies and terms so as to encourage further investment, exploration, drilling and production by the international oil and gas operating companies and their contractors.
Read own our oil it will give you a good insight into the business.
Where is this oil?
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