Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

——submitted by Shell last week to An Bord Pleanála and to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The field, which should go into production by the end of next year or the beginning of 2011, could supply 60% of Ireland's gas needs when fully up and running and the value has been estimated at €3 billion.

At times like this jobs must be nurtured and protected. The Ballinaboy project currently employs 900 people at Erris and will employ 130 people when gas begins to flow from the Ballinaboy terminal. Now is the time, with these economic difficulties, that we should look into the question of royalties from Shell.