Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I wish to share time with Deputy Ring. I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this matter. We should all be glad, even at this late stage, that we have arrived at a situation where the men who were in prison are free. If one were to evaluate the history of this situation from last June to today, it would be a great lesson in how business should not be done. Matters were allowed to drag on day after day throughout the summer months and nothing appeared to happen.

I compliment those who were involved and who made constructive suggestions throughout this time with a view to achieving a resolution because it is not always popular to be constructive in such situations. We could have reached the current position in the first three or four days as easily as it has been reached after three months. It is disgraceful that, in a democracy, people must spend three months in prison before the wheels are set in motion to lead, eventually, to their release.

If the planning or consent processes were wrong, why was it not possible to review them earlier? Why was it necessary to leave the men in prison for the duration? Throughout that period Deputies Kenny and Ring made numerous suggestions as to how to resolve the situation. Deputies Broughan and Rabbitte did likewise, as did many others. They spent much of their time in the summer attempting to intervene in a constructive manner that would enable the situation to be defused.

At last Tuesday's meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, it was obvious from the start that we were going nowhere because all we were doing was arguing the rights and wrongs of the case all over again. There was nothing by way of mediation, resolution or achieving what I hope was the objective.

The House debated this issue in the last days of June in respect of a Private Notice Question to which everybody contributed. The Minister, knowing what he knew, being the ultimate arbiter in terms of consent and knowing that he alone had the ability to appoint a mediator of sufficient stature to be acceptable to both sides, should have taken the initiative at that time. The critical issue is the appointment of such a mediator who will be recognised and accepted by both sides. I hope the Minister accepts this suggestion, which has come from this side of the House. If this is done, the problem will be resolved. If it is not done, we will be here in three or four months having the same debate and possibly repeating the history of the disaster of the past three months. That should not, under any circumstances, be allowed to happen.

We, Shell and everybody else are bound by the laws of the land. We must all comply with planning permissions and consents and must do what is required by the laws of the land. If we deviate from this or if the Minister allows anybody to deviate from it, we have a serious problem because it brings our laws into disrepute. If we bring laws and regulations into disrepute, particularly those relating to planning permissions and associated issues, we will have a serious problem. In these circumstances, I depend on the Minister to ensure that he uses his influence. He is the only one in a position to give the necessary assurances to both sides. He is in the driving seat and can tell the mediator what he can offer in response for whatever. Nobody else can do that.

I do not want to pile coals on the Minister's head. However, he should remember that this issue has been sitting around for the past three months. Some people would say it has been present for three or four years. The pertinent issue of the men being in jail has been around for the past three months. When such individuals are in jail, people say they are doing a great job and that the country is behind them. This is thin consolation for those who are in prison and nobody should try to tell me any different because I have been there and done that.

Instead of going back over what has happened, we should try to avoid a recurrence and address the issues that caused it rather than broadening the debate to include many extraneous matters. The issue to be resolved relates, in the first instance, to health, safety and planning. This matter falls to the Minister in terms of his ability to grant or withdraw consent. This fundamental issue affects the system in so far as the Corrib gas field is concerned. Resolution of the issue will not be an easy job. The situation would not have continued so long if it was.

It is important the Minister concentrates on the job and that he ensures, whatever else happens, that the ultimate in terms of health and safety requirements are met. Failure to do this could lead to a serious situation arising for the people in the area and for people in other areas for whom a precedent may have been set. Deputy Ring will have more to say on this issue as he is a local representative.

I believe the unresolved planning, consent and legal issues can be amicably resolved if there is a general application to the issue and if the Minister uses his positive influence on all concerned, through the mediator, to achieve the result desired by all.

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