Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have mixed sympathies on this subject. I am certain that for the vast majority of Members if a pipeline and installation were to be located as close to our houses as in the case of the Rossport five we would have some reservations. I can think of a couple of Ministers who might make strenuous efforts to have it diverted elsewhere. We cannot be dismissive of concerns. In regard to those huge installations no one say on a rational basis that an accident is unlikely to occur. If this were looming in front of oneself, it would be hard to still one's fears completely.

This raises the issue of the relationship between big corporations and isolated communities or individuals and big corporations do not always go the right way about it. They appear to think that if they have the support of the Government and the authorities they do not need to worry too much about local communities and consent. The culture in Ireland, whatever about any other country, is that one needs the consent of the local community in addition to everything else if one wants to proceed smoothly with projects of this kind. It is clear Shell did not put enough effort into that area and forcing its way through by the law was a definite mistake. Contrary to Senator Ryan's view I am sure the Minister worked hard to terminate a very unsatisfactory situation. There is a problem with conflict in Ireland. In general we are reasonably flexible most of the time but when we get into the trenches it is sometimes hard to get out of them. The law needs to be re-examined in this regard because keeping people in prison for the length of time these five men were imprisoned is unsatisfactory.

It is hard to give people absolute assurances on safety. My house in Dublin is supplied by natural gas and there have been instances over the past 20 or 30 years where houses or apartments have been damaged in gas explosions. I appreciate that the problem is small in scale but somebody died in such an explosion within the past 20 years, so it is difficult to give absolute assurances on safety. Nonetheless, I welcome the safety review concerning the Corrib project. The Minister has spoken of such reviews becoming common practice for analogous projects, but it would be helpful if that point could be spelled out, including where such developments have taken place and where they are planned.

My sympathy parts from the Rossport five in that there has been an attempt to suggest that we should go back to the oil exploration terms of the 1970s. I see no case for doing that. Norway may have a brilliant regime which is tailored to its circumstances but Ireland is not Norway. The point has been well made that if our exploration terms were so ridiculously advantageous, how is it that the oil companies have not been piling in over the past 12 or 13 years to exploit them? The fact is that they have not done so.

There is a higher rate of tax at 25%, which applies to oil exploration profits, but while oil and gas are central to Norway's prosperity that will never be the case here. We may have envisioned that being the case in the late 1970s and early 1980s but the Celtic tiger came into being through a completely different route and, therefore, we must be realistic. I have not been impressed by the sight of various left-wing groups piling on board and trying to overturn decisions by legally constituted bodies, as well as the terms on which such decisions are based.

There is an issue of confidence here. Foreign businesses will watch closely how we handle these matters. If it is the case that, despite going through all the legal procedures, the system does not work, this will make people pause for thought.

It is significant that the Leader of the Opposition in the Dáil has his seat in the constituency of Mayo, while the Leader of the Labour Party in the Dáil also comes from that part of the country. I notice that both of them have been careful not to underwrite the Rossport agitation in any complete sense because of credibility factors going into Government.

Local benefits need to be examined, including investment in the gas network, improving infrastructure, local employment and tourism. There are also national benefits from a more secure gas supply. I hope the process that is under way will lead to a conclusion. If it requires the oil companies to be a bit more generous to some of the people concerned, then so be it. There is a need for Shell in particular to repair its relations with the local population and to go to every possible length to meet people's concerns without abandoning the project.