Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

The Minister stated on Mid-West Radio that he never presented mediation as anything except a very wide process. The Minister has consequently scuppered the entire process. What was the Minister's reason for misleading the House? On 4 October, he stated:

Following the debates, I contacted both sides in an effort to break the impasse and indicated to them that the Government would appoint a mediator if both sides were willing to participate in a mediation process. I then called on both parties to create the conditions which would allow such a process to commence immediately.

However, matters fell apart when the Minister responded to my parliamentary question on 25 January that "the role of the mediator is wider than just the gas project". What is the Minister about? He has misled the House and destroyed the mediation process by interfering at every opportunity. The Minister has not allowed Mr. Peter Cassells to do his job. Mr. Cassells has ended the process because it has become so diluted that the men's concerns have been lost.

Shell and the five men agree that the mediation was between them. However, the Minister has turned the issue around completely. What is the reason? What is the Minister's agenda? Does the Minister agree he has not only misled the House but has not acted as a Minister should? Is the Minister's situation untenable? He has spoken about mediation but has succeeded in destroying the process.

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