Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

I thank the Minister of State for attending. Last Monday, I was delighted to walk more than a mile with the Shell to Sea campaign and to show solidarity on behalf of the Labour Party with the people of Erris and north County Mayo. I was struck by the wide spectrum of Mayo opinion represented in the protest. Farmers, fishermen, teachers, women on household duties and senior citizens took the time to visit and support the protest from 6.30 a.m. or 7 a.m. before their day's tasks began.

I was also struck by the reasonable attitude of many people I met there and in Castlebar at the press conference organised by Shell to Sea. When I addressed the protest with Labour Party president Deputy Michael Higgins, Deputy Joe Costello, Counsellor Harry Barrett of the Mayo Labour Party and Mr. Hughie Baxter of Roscommon-South Leitrim, I noted the achievement of the public campaign by the people of Erris and north-west Mayo since 2000.

The Advantica technical advisory group and the Centre for Public Inquiry reports vindicated their stance on the safety of the pipeline and the Peter Cassells mediation clearly decided that the pipeline pressure and route needed to be changed. I commend our great colleague in the labour movement, Mr. Cassells, for his profound efforts.

It is tragic that five brave Rossport citizens spent 94 days in jail to vindicate their rights and that the progress made since autumn 2005 could not have brought the problem to a resolution. Mr. Andy Pyle, the chief executive of Shell, apologised for the imprisonment of the Rossport Five and immediately after their release seemed to indicate that direct face-to-face talks without preconditions would commence while work on the Bellanaboy facility was suspended. Sadly, those negotiations have not taken place and Mr. Terry Nolan, the deputy CEO, and his colleague, Mr. John Egan, continue to indicate that the refinery's location cannot be discussed.

The overwhelming wish of the people I met last Monday was for talks without preconditions to take place urgently. Last Monday in Castlebar, Dr. Mark Garavan and his Shell to Sea committee announced an important initiative, namely, the establishment of an independent public commission of inquiry to investigate the Corrib gas project. The main purpose of the commission is to develop an optimum development concept for the Corrib gas field. The concept will be determined according to a set of criteria, including health and safety, local and regional benefits, environment and community consent. The last criterion is regarded as key and would come into operation following open public hearings and a commission recommendation.

As I said in the aptly named Michael Davitt room of the Imperial Hotel in Castlebar, this proposal is important and worthy of deep consideration. In a conversation with the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, yesterday and a letter to him and Mr. Pyle of Shell — I will also write to Marathon and Statoil — I urged that the proposal be examined and used as the basis for intense face-to-face negotiations between the parties concerned under respected, independent mediation. I renew my call for such talks and express the hope that such a development might lead to a full resolution of the dispute and allow this vital gas field to be harvested as Ireland's critical transitional fuel while moving to a renewable era. Such talks, if accompanied by a suspension of the works at Bellanaboy, would lead to the immediate end of the protest, as Dr. Garavan declared yesterday.

It has been indicated to me that feelings have run so strongly that it might be wise to turn to some of the partners with experience in the field, such as Norway, to lead the discussion. I propose the involvement of, for example, a former Norwegian energy Minister. The ball is in the court of the Taoiseach, the Minister, Shell's chief executive, Mr. Pyle, and the Statoil and Marathon companies. Time is of the essence and, even with agreement tomorrow, Corrib gas would not flow ashore until later in 2009. Government intervention is critical and I urge the Minister and Mr. Pyle to review their positions, examine the proposal of Dr. Garavan and his committee carefully and give a considered response to the Shell to Sea initiative.

Every Deputy and everyone who knows Mayo, Galway and Connacht in general welcomed the decision to bring gas to Connacht towns. One or two important towns visited by Deputy Costello and I, such as Belmullet and Ballinrobe, are not included in the scheme, but I hope the situation will change in time. I commend my colleagues on the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, including the Minister of State's colleague, Senator MacSharry, who made a strong case for ordering Bord Gáis to change its cost benefit analysis.

With good will, we must respond to the considered initiative because people want a resolution. As Deputy Cowley said, we do not want a senior citizen or young person to be seriously injured on the Bellanaboy haulage road one morning. The way forward is face-to-face talks without preconditions. This is an important project for the nation, but we must work on it via agreement and we must respect the people of County Mayo, an important part of our country. Behind this immediate issue is that of Ireland's natural resources, a matter in respect of which the Labour Party has expressed strong and considered views in its oil and exploration Bill, which is on the clár of the Oireachtas.

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