Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

Does the Minister agree that it is extremely regrettable and disgraceful that James Brendan Philbin, Willie Corduff, Micheál Ó Seighin and Philip and Vincent McGrath are in Cloverhill Prison tonight over this matter? The legal advice the Labour Party has obtained is that the contempt of court relates to a civil rather than a criminal matter. Would the Minister be prepared to ask the Shell oil company to waive its rights in this regard to ensure that these five people are released while the work of our colleagues in the Council for the West and other bodies continues? Would the Minister prefer to take a proactive role in getting these citizens out of jail and preventing other citizens going to jail?

I am sure colleagues will have questions on the quantified risk assessment. Is it not outrageous that the review was carried out by a company owned by Shell and BP? In other words, there was a clear conflict of interest. The Minister told me on 15 June that he was carrying out a review of the safety aspects of the pipeline. This has not yet been completed and the Minister cannot tell us anything this evening. Undoubtedly, the safety aspect of the pipeline is far outside the technical design scale. The Minister has a responsibility to bring forward this review and make it public as soon as possible.

The Minister said this pipeline is unique in the world because it is going through a populated area. For that reason, he has a clear responsibility to ensure the safety of these people in prison, their families and the people they represent in north Mayo. Is it not a fact that the rights of way legislation which only applied to public sector companies was changed by a predecessor of the Minister? The former Minister, Deputy Fahey, said that in the national interest he was allowing the construction of this pipeline by a private multinational company. Was that not an outrageous decision to make in regard to a private enterprise operation which gravely affects many families?

Will the Minister take a proactive role and appoint an arbitrator to liaise with local people, interested local representatives and other bodies to try to resolve this matter and to get these people home as soon as possible?

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