Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I am happy to take this slot on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Ferris. I will concentrate my contribution on paragraph (d) of the motion, which deals with the validity of planning consents. It is timely to remind people of the ongoing consequences made of the so-called consent given to the Corrib gas pipeline. I use "so-called" because it is clear the pipeline does not have the consent of those most affected by it. Most people polled recently favoured the proposal that the gas be processed at sea. The failure of the planning process and the less than forthright manner in which both the Corrib consortium and the State dealt with the legitimate concerns of the objectors has led to the situation that pertains at Bellanaboy, where the gardaí are forcing protestors off the road and employing deliberately menacing tactics, including the filming of colleagues of mine from the Technical Group who were engaged in an open public meeting in an open public place. I sincerely hope the gardaí do not adopt a similar attitude to the large crowds that are expected to arrive in Bellanaboy on Friday to demonstrate their solidarity with the local community.

Shell has been found time and again to be less than honest in all aspects of this project and is currently refusing to comply with an order of discovery by the High Court to make available the terms of the lease and other documents relating to the risk analysis and the plan of the development. What is it hiding? Why was this not thoroughly examined during the planning process?

I suggest that, instead of copperfastening current consents and facilitating the fast-tracking of large-scale and potentially contentious further developments, we need to allow the greatest possible scrutiny of all aspects of such projects. I ask the Government to review its position on the whole Bellanaboy affair, because it is atrocious that a small community is being hounded in the way it is at the behest of Shell Éireann, this huge conglomerate.

See this speech in context