SPC members urged to inform themselves on gas exploration off Mayo coast

MEMBERS of a Mayo County Council committee on economic development have been encouraged to independently inform themselves on gas exploration along the west coast instead of just listening to lobby groups.

Maura Harrington, a veteran of the Shell to Sea campaign, and Jerry McEvilly, Friends of the Earth Head of Policy Change, both addressed Mayo County Council’s Economic Development, Enterprise Support, Planning and Marine Strategic Policy Committee outlining the economic and environment reasons for not providing a drilling licence for a gas field 200km off the Erris coast.

In June, Brian Ó Cathain of Europa Oil and Gas, gave a presentation to the SPC during which he explained that the company proposes to drill gas at the Inishkea and Inishkea West field and bring the gas ashore and link in with the Bellanaboy gas refinery. The company claims it will provide 60 percent of Ireland’s gas needs and produce gas up until 2050.

While members of the SPC were sympathetic to what Ms Harrington and Mr McEvilly said in relation to the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels, they all expressed full support for the gas project and the need to bring gas ashore.

In response, Ms Harrington said that the feeling she got from the floor was that there was an ‘us and them’ scenario and the SPC had to take more steps to inform themselves.

“This SPC has an equal part to play and not just a part of going with Brian or go with Maura. It beholds you as the strategic policy committee to do more than just assess what you got from Europa Oil and from us today. Call in people and seek the best advice to inform yourself. Are you yourselves seeking information to inform yourselves other than from people who have lobbied you to make representations? There is all sorts of stuff you need to find out for yourselves,” she said.

Mr McEvilly agreed with his colleague stating that there was a lot of research on the subject in different universities around the country and it would be important to ask questions from them on gas exploration.

Ms Harrington asked to address the SPC after learning that Mr Ó Cathain had addressed the members in June, saying she wished to address some of the claims he made. She said she was very sceptical about the idea that the gas from the new field could tap into the Corrib gas field without new infrastructure and she rejected the claim that it would provide 60 percent of the State’s gas needs.

“It was like déjà vu all over again. I heard the same thing 20 years ago. Corrib provided 60 percent [of the State’s gas needs] for as long as a wet week, and then it started to rapidly decline,” she said.

Policy conflict

MS Harrington also disagreed with the argument that the gas will provide energy guarantees. She pointed out that the State buys gas from the Corrib field at market value and it is no less expensive than buying it from the UK.

Mr McEvilly said that the economic argument for the field did not also stack up because of the ever-decreasing reliance on gas infrastructure. He said the continued use of gas for another 30 years flies in the face of current government policy.

“Any infrastructure that goes in now or any investment that goes in now will be in use for years and decades to come. Your response is it is needed. It is needed now but all the scenarios and projections governments are making [predict] rapidly reducing gas use particularly from the 2030s,” he said.

“You might say it is in our interests to say that, but the real issue is we would see a risk in promises being made to Mayo and essentially that the use of that infrastructure rapidly decreasing. That exposes stranded assets and economic costs, and we are not clear who will bear those costs if that infrastructure is used less and less.”

Letter of support

CHAIRMAN of the SPC, Cllr Mark Duffy thanked Ms Harrington and Mr McEvilly for their presentation and stated it is important they hear both sides of the story. While accepting their arguments were well made he still believed the council had to support the gas coming ashore from the new field.

Cllr Jarlath Munnelly said that while they had to take climate change seriously he believes there is still a place for gas exploration.

“It seems to me we have a choice, we either import gas from other countries or else there is gas lying off the west coast of Mayo we can utilise. This is not a solution at all. It is a stop gap until other technologies can produce and Ireland can be a net exporter of green energy. I don’t expect you to agree with anything I say here but how we get to that transition I think there is a place for gas and projects like this,” he said.

Farmers’ representative Martin Gilvarry voiced similar opinions, while Hugh Rouse, representing the Chambers of Commerce, said that industry needed a gas supply to attract investment.

“We need to bring people into north Mayo and we need to endorse this. Industry is doing its best but solar panels on hotels will not keep the heat on or the pool warm in December, gas will,” he said.

At the end of the meeting, members agreed that a letter should be sent to the Taoiseach and to the relevant minister to support this project.