No gas to flow to Belmullet
Anton McNulty
The chances of gas flowing into Belmullet town received a big blow when representatives from Bord Gáis revealed that they had no plans to connect natural gas to the town because it did not meet their criteria.
The information was conveyed to councillors at yesterday’s (Monday) monthly meeting of Mayo County Council following a presentation of the supply of natural gas to towns in the county. Erris based councillor Gerry Coyle said he was very disappointed that there was no plans to connect to Belmullet and made a plea to Bord Gáis to connect a pipeline from the Bellanaboy terminal to the town.
“Belmullet is without gas when it is 7km away from Bellanaboy and yet we can get gas pumped all the way from Siberia. What plans have Bord Gáis to bring the gas 7km to Belmullet. I know there are criteria laid down but surely to God with yourselves (Bord Gáis) and the Corrib Gas Partners it is not too much to ask to bring a 7km pipe to Belmullet,” he said.
Cllr Coyle was supported by his fellow councillors who said that Belmullet and Erris should benefit from a gas supply. However, Fiachra Quigley of Bord Gáis told the councillors that they operate within a strict business criteria and that Belmullet did not meet that criteria. Cllr Coyle stressed a special case needed to be made for Belmullet.
Sinn Féin councillor Rose Conway-Walsh said that Belmullet should be connected to the grid but added that if Bord Gáis is privatised it won’t happen.
“Bord Gáis is on the list of state companies to be privatised and all comments here today will be irrelevant if it happens. We don’t know who will own it but it will more than likely be a company from a place like China and we will have no say in it,” she said.
She also called for the re-negotiation of the royalties for natural resources saying that other deals have been negotiated and the country should ‘get a fair share what truly belongs to us’.
Independent councillor Gerry Ginty also called for an inquiry in the work of ‘agents of foreign countries’ who he said may have provoked people to break the law during Corrib gas protests.
