Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

All I have to state is that as far as I can see, we do not have an energy policy. Similar to health, there is no policy and there are vested interests throughout. Local people are robbed and abused by forces of the State. This House is silent on the matter and, shamefully, other Mayo Deputies are also silent. I was in County Mayo in recent days. The local community is under attack from the Government. It is a shameful situation, whereby Shell received concessions such as never before were given to a private company. It has compulsory purchase order power to take land and foist this illegal pipeline on the people without receiving consent for this ill-fated project. The purpose is to satisfy the agenda of a private multinational company which, together with its partners, makes millions of euro profit every day.

Hundreds of gardaí do Shell's work for it, not at Shell's expense but at that of the poor long-suffering taxpayer who must pay for this terrible abuse of power by the State. Only five extra gardaí were sent to Moyross. We read two days ago that the poor lady whose two children had been burnt had to leave her house because of an attack by local thugs. The hundreds of gardaí should not be in County Mayo; they should be minding that poor woman and her children.

The last feeble justification given for the intolerable situation in County Mayo is that we need it to ensure security of supply. That is a complete and utter laugh. A few days ago the Financial Times reported that gas had been given away for nothing in the United Kingdom because so much of it had come in from Norway through the largest pipeline in the world. People were paid to take the gas.

What is the sense in all of this? We discuss waste and electronic voting machines. What about the hundreds of millions spent on the Bord Gáis pipeline to Rossport, paid for by the taxpayer? Energy prices have increased by 34%. All this means to the people is increased costs. The arrival of Corrib gas supplies will mean nothing to them except more expense. It will mean more profit for Shell.

The fiscal terms governing oil and gas finds must be revised to ensure adequate returns to the people. We require the taxation, royalties and equity shares which were previously available. We need a proper deal to compensate the people for the pollution and global warming effects of the exploitation of fossil fuels. These revenues should be ringfenced and used for investment in and development of renewable forms of energy.

Energy policy should be directed towards the development of renewable sources, with oil and gas finds used only as transitional fuels and to finance that transition. Communities affected by the exploitation of oil and gas finds require compensatory payments and investment funding. In the Grianan model 10% of gross profits is diverted to affected communities. This could be enforced through legislation. In the Shetland Islands the local community exercises considerable control over the industry. That is another potential model.

The debacle of the Corrib gas project illustrates what happens when community concerns are ignored by the industry, and it is continuing. It is shameful to see what is happening. The Government has turned upon the local population to progress an ill-fated project which means nothing to the local area or this country but means millions of euro pouring into the coffers of private concerns. It is an absolute disgrace. I ask the House to resist what is happening. Will the four other Deputies in County Mayo speak out about the terrible squandering of resources and use of State resources to further the agenda of a private company and fill up its coffers?

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