Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Will the Minister confirm that there is no barrier to him asking Shell to pull back from confrontation and lay off until the issues are fully discussed and resolved? Does he not find it extraordinary that the High Court is giving every benefit to a major corporation over the small people of Mayo? Is it not incredible that a full hearing of the issues of concern to the people of Mayo will be heard in the autumn, probably in October? In the meantime, the company is allowed to proceed and put everything in place with the like-minded reminder from the High Court that the pipes will have to be taken out again if the decision goes against Shell. Is it not incredible that the courts take this view before the Minister has given his consent and before the most recent risk assessment report is put into the public domain? The High Court has given every benefit to Shell at the expense of the small people, which is what happened when the Minister's colleague wanted to publish a report into exploitation at Gama. In that instance, the courts would not allow it to be published until the substantial hearing was held thus once more facilitating a powerful company.

Why is Shell so bullish and confident that it will get its pipelines come what may? Has it been secretly assured by the Minister, his predecessor, the Government or Fianna Fáil that it will get its gas in the way it wants regardless of the genuine fears and concerns of decent local people? Has the Government not fallen over itself on every occasion to facilitate the company? It is a terrible scandal for a Government to give an entire gas field to multi-national corporations without a penny in royalties for the Irish people.

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