More Corrib questions

Corrib’s democratic deficit continues

De Facto
Liamy MacNally

GARDAÍ consigned to the Corrib project would do well to read a speech given by Garda Inspector Michael Murray outside Bellanaboy when the Rossport Five were jailed. He put his finger on the pulse of the Gardaí’s role in a local community.
When the 13 people were arrested recently why did the Gardaí not, for peace sake, insist that the consents granted to Shell for ongoing works were made available to the people?  This would have diffused a difficult situation. Why have the Gardaí not appointed a Community Officer to liase with local people?
Too often it appears that the Gardaí side with Shell and their nameless, faceless security personnel. 
Shell has bought a share in the commonage in Rossport, or Ros Dumhach as Gaeilge. Shell sheep could become a reality, stocking numbers permitting, followed by Shell wool! What would a trans-national corporation, worth billions of euro, want with such a fraction of land?
Recently, when Shell’s agents were on the commonage (on two occasions) it was brought to their attention that there is a court order preventing Shell or their agents from entering the commonage. The court order was granted to a local person who brought a case against Shell, unhappy with their modus operandi on the commonage lands.  Part of the judgement against Shell was a prohibition against anyone carrying out invasive works on the commonage. 
There are local people who believe that Shell’s purchase of a share in the commonage is their way of trying to overcome this legal obstacle. The locals claim that Shell will have to go before Judge Mary Devins and have the court order stood down if they wish to enter the lands to carry out works, regardless of their ownership of a share in the commonage. The law is the law. 
Mix this mess in with the Green Party fiasco that is unfolding daily.  Whatever has become of Minister John Gormley and Minister Éamon Ryan? Both are proving major embarrassments for some party members because of their lack of attention to pre-election principles on the Corrib project and their ongoing handling of the project. There are disturbing reports emanating from within the Green Party that a ‘deal’ has been done with Fianna Fáil and that the Corrib gas project has been burned on the sacrificial altar of power.  Before he was sucked into the ‘power vacuum’ with Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats, Minister Éamon Ryan was the Green Party spokesperson on Energy. 
Speaking on November 22, 2005, not long after the publication of the Centre for Public Inquiry report into the Corrib gas project, Mr Ryan stated: “The report is severely critical of the Government’s handling of the planning, legislation and execution of the Corrib gas project. It is now incumbent upon the Government to respond to these charges and to give a comprehensive, honest account of the entire project for once and for all.”
Since then the only change is that Éamon Ryan is now a Minister.  His recent admission that his failure to publicise approvals for work was an ‘oversight’ makes one wonder about his competence. Was this ‘oversight’ partly to blame for the fiasco that led to the arrest of 13 people at Glengad? This is as pathetic as it gets from Government. The people just wanted proof that the work by Shell was approved. 
The Minister’s job is to approve proposed works based on consents that have already been given, as far back as 2002 in the glory days of Frank Fahey’s ministerial meanderings. Why has there been no detailed ‘landslide survey’ on the landfall site, an extension of Dooncarton, the scene of the landslides in 2003? On examination of the consents procedures, questions are being asked if Minister Ryan’s Department is the correct one to grant approvals for the works in certain circumstances. 
Minister Ryan, in a letter dated July 18, 2008, about consent approvals, states: “Shallow bedrock…will be removed by drilling and blasting operations carried out from a self-elevating platform equipped with a drill-ring….”     
In the Marine Minister’s Foreshore Licence approval on June27,  2008, it states: “It is a strict condition of the consent that the licensee shall not use explosives….” Which Minister is correct? This mess would embarrass Homer Simpson! Questions also arise over compliance with national and EU legislation.
There was no public announcement, no notification to local people and no website notice from the Marine Minister about the Foreshore consent. Why do Government Ministers act with such disdain towards local people? 
Mayo County Council has to examine Shell’s compliance with its recent planning retention approval for the Glengad landfall road. According to some documentation, it appears that there might be discrepancies between what was granted and what is being constructed. The democratic deficit continues with Corrib gas.