Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

I wish to share time with Deputies Sargent and Ó Snodaigh.

Before I entered the Dáil in 2002, I had spoken about the profligate giveaway of our national resources. It is a matter I have raised from time to time since I became a Deputy. In 2000 the oil companies told us that the Corrib gas project was worth £2 billion. The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, informed us on national television last night that it is worth €2 billion. At least we know the difference between the punt and the euro, even if Deputy Parlon does not. If it is €2 billion, as he would have us believe, the value of the gas field has dropped by approximately 25%.

In 2000 the going rate for a barrel of oil was $10. In 2005 it is six or seven times that, at $60 to $70 a barrel and Deputy Parlon informs us that Corrib gas has gone down in value by 25%. We know that the original value of £2 billion for Corrib gas was deliberately kept very low by the oil companies for the purpose of fooling us. After the Minister of State's performance on television last night, it is obvious that the Government and the oil companies still share the cosy consensus which is as strong as ever. Who do they believe they are fooling? Even if the original 2000 valuation of £2 billion was correct, we know that by applying today's values the Corrib gas field would be worth £12 billion. Adding the 25% currency conversion would put the value up to at least €16 billion.

In The Irish Times today, we saw the heroic Rossport five standing behind the illegal pipe, a testament to the arrogance of Shell which was asked by the Minister to dismantle it last July. It has still not been dismantled. It is unacceptable that these five honourable men went to jail for 94 harrowing days before the injunction brought by Shell and its partners was ended. However, they are still not free. Neither is Ms Bríd McGarry, the sixth Rossport resident, and the dangerous pipeline is still a reality. Applying any British, American or international standard — or even Shell's own design standard — they are living within the kill zone of this pipeline, since 70 metres is certainly not safe.

I visited Norway just under two weeks ago with the Rossport five's family members. We found the Norwegian people to be very straightforward and transparent. We met the top union people and we met the Norwegian oil and gas minister. We met the incoming government MPs and the senior vice-president of Statoil, Mr. Helge Hatlestad. They were absolutely amazed and astounded at what was happening in Ireland and did not have the full picture at all. They were determined to do something about the situation. This was a critical time to visit as negotiations were under way for a new government. The strong message from Statoil, which incidentally owns 25% of our Corrib gas field, is that such a scandalous state of affairs would not be tolerated in Norway. The State owns none of the field, despite the guarantees in the Constitution. The Norwegians believe in their democracy and assured us this could not happen in Norway, insisting that such a project could not go ahead without the consent of the people. Hot on our heels, Statoil's second top executive, Mr. Hatlestad, came to Ireland and did what he told us he would do.

We have to be thankful, I suppose, that this is not Nigeria or the Rossport five would have been hanged long ago. I believe our visit to Norway tipped the balance in favour of the removal of this terrible injunction. The Government is up to its neck in all of this, thanks to a corrupt former Minister, Ray Burke, and the current Taoiseach, who was then Minister for Finance. We gave it all away even before we got it, although it is ours under the Constitution. At the same time, serious deficiencies exist in our health and social services due to funding difficulties. It is a scandal.

Everyone knows that the former Minister for the Marine, Deputy Fahey, did away with any need for planning permission for this unique pipeline. He is currently a Fianna Fáil Minister of State from Galway West. The decent people of Galway, his constituents, rallied with supporters of the Rossport five on their peaceful demonstrations. These farmers from Gort, Ballinasloe or wherever, understood what it must be like to be thrown off one's land and have it given away to a powerful interest. They were not strangers to that. It happened before in our history. The people of Gort and the people of Ireland understood all this and came out strongly in support of the Rossport five. That support has grown to 100%. They surely understand what Michael Davitt fought for and how their own Government facilitates the taking of that land under compulsory requisition orders by the State. The people who should be protecting them were doing them down on behalf of the oppressor, Shell, the oil multinational.

If this injunction is made permanent this month, I assure the House that they, too, could end up in jail if the State wants their land — or if it wants the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's land or mine. They will resist it being taken and will end up in jail as a result. Nothing could be more certain. They could end up in jail just from thinking bad thoughts about Corrib gas. People in their thousands have supported the Rossport five. As I said at last Saturday's rally, the human spirit cannot be bought or sold. Neither can it be imprisoned, as the Government found out. These brave men refused to give in to Shell. They have done us proud and are still doing us proud. We need a full comprehensive review of the Corrib gas project, not a repeat of the inadequate Shell-influenced company reviews.to date, which are ridiculous.

This is a narrow peninsula, a space which cannot accommodate a unique pipeline and a village full of houses. This problem must be resolved. It is a scandal and thank God these five brave men are free and are now with us.

See this speech in context