Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 576: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the steps he has taken since the Dáil session ended in June 2005 to resolve the Corrib impasse and to secure the release of five persons from Rossport who are heading for 100 days in prison. [25455/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I have made several attempts to create conditions for the Rossport men to take the only option available to them for their release and that is to purge their contempt to the court as articulated by Mr. Justice Finnegan. I am doing and will continue to do everything I can to assist in any way in resolving this impasse. The Deputy may wish to note that I appointed an intermediary who contacted the men in jail. This was to try to establish and address their concerns, and to facilitate them in purging their contempt to the High Court. During these contacts I informed them that I was commissioning a further review of the onshore pipeline to be conducted by international experts with a view to addressing their health and safety concerns. The broad outline of the terms of reference of the proposed review was conveyed to them as were the names of potential companies with relevant expertise to carry out this review.

I regret very much that anyone is in jail in connection with the Corrib gas project but this was a decision by the courts.