The Mayo News

Up to three naval vessels are expected to escort the Solitaire, the world’s largest pipe-laying vessel, into Broadhaven Bay in the coming days.
It is expected that the Solitaire will arrive back in waters off the Mayo coast in the next week.

Naval vessels set to escort Solitaire into Broadhaven Bay


Áine Ryan

TWO naval vessels are expected to escort the Solitaire, the world’s largest pipe-laying vessel into Broadhaven Bay in the coming days with a reported 300 gardaí already deployed to Erris over last weekend, The Mayo News understands.
As tensions are expected to rise, Minister Éamon Ó Cuív yesterday called on opponents of the Corrib gas project to return to talks at the north-west forum. He told The Mayo News that ‘everything was still on the table for discussion’ but that time was of the essence.
“There are no preconditions and nothing is ruled out for discussion. I want to see all the issues teased out because what is happening here is a very serious issue,” said Minister Ó Cuív.
During a presentation at yesterday’s forum, Ms Geraldine Larkin, the Chief Executive of the Private Security Authority (PSA), outlined the process by which companies and individuals are issued with licenses.
“From September of this year ID badges [on uniforms] will be mandatory for all security personnel up and down the country. Separate to this they will be issued with an ID card,” said Ms Larkin.
She revealed yesterday that in the case of IRMS security personnel – 156 of whom are employed at the Glengad landfall site –  the company had now committed to implementing the wearing of the badges before the mandatory time.
Ms Larkin’s invitation to the forum was as a result of recent talks between Minister Ó Cuív and Galway Shell to Sea about ongoing concerns about IRMS security personnel at Glengad.
Last year there were complaints that the security guards were filming local people, including children walking on the beach, and that they were not wearing identifiable badges.
There was also concern expressed – after the shooting dead in Bolivia of a former security worker at Glengad, Michael Dwyer as to whether he had full security guard authorization at the time.
Questioned by the forum’s Chairman, Joe Brosnan, Chief Superintendent Tony McNamara confirmed that an official complaint about the recent sinking of the Iona Isle ‘is being actively investigated at this time’.
On further questioning, Chief Supt McNamara ‘refuted in its entirety’ any allegation that the gardaí ‘were protecting the developer and not the people’.
Speaking to The Mayo News, Energy Minister, Eamon Ryan, said he welcomed ‘a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the Iona Isle’.
Minister Ryan also said that ‘the last thing anybody wants is for someone to be hurt or injured’.
“I hope that policing by the gardaí and the private security company adheres to the highest standards,” he continued.
Mr Pat O’Donnell, the owner of the boat that sank in mysterious circumstances ten days ago near Erris Head, made an official complaint to gardaí in Dublin over the weekend, it has emerged.
He called yesterday for an urgent meeting with Belmullet gardaí ‘to ensure that his constitutional rights to carry out his normal work activities were respected’ during the pipe-laying period.
Mr O’Donnell challenged the legal basis for Shell advising locals on Friday last of ‘a unilateral exclusion zone of 500m metres’ for these marine works.
In a letter to Supt Michael Larkin, he claims that calls for help to gardaí made last September, during an aborted attempt by the Solitaire to lay pipes, were ignored.
“This year we demand State protection for our boats and lives before a fatality occurs,” the letter continues.
Clarifying the legal situation regarding fishing rights, a Department of Agriculture and Fisheries official, Mr John Quinlan told the forum that his legal advice was that ‘anybody with a valid license may conduct that [fishing] activity in a reasonable manner but in compliance with any consents issued’.
 Mayo County Council presented a report on key infrastructural priorities for the area yesterday.
“When it comes to assessing the proposals, our focus will be on the area that is most affected [by the project], the Parish of Kilcommon,” Minister Éamon Ó Cuív told The Mayo News.
Meanwhile, Vincent McGrath and Ciaran Ó Murchú, on behalf of Pobal Chill Chomáin and Pobal le Chéile, have written to Ministers Ó Cuív, Ryan and Dermot Ahern (Justice) requesting an urgent meeting and demanding that, as Irish citizens, those opposing the controversial project be afforded ‘the full protection of the law’.
“Law and order is being subverted in our community by a sinister, unknown group that is targeting well-known opponents of the Corrib gas project,” the letter to Minister Ahern states.
It continues: “Senior officers continue to publicly belittle us when we report incidents and to dismiss the gravity of these events.”

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