Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 117: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he intends making a decision with regard to the provision of consent for the laying of the Corrib onshore gas pipeline. [6740/06]

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 147: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the position in regard to the Corrib gas field; when he expects all the difficulties surrounding the project to be resolved to the satisfaction of all; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6634/06]

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the position regarding the Corrib gas pipeline dispute; the stage the mediation process is at; when an agreed resolution will allow the project to proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6712/06]

Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 330: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) has made contact with a company; if not, if contact will be made; if he has instructed this person to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6496/06]

Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 331: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will call a halt to the Corrib gas pipeline project due to the non-viability of the project as presently configured and as acknowledged by Shell and everyone else due to the lack of community consent for this project, due to health and safety fears and in view of their being no compelling need to proceed with this project due to recent large gas finds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6497/06]

Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 332: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will refuse to give further consents for the Corrib gas project in view of the present non-viability of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6498/06]

Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his views on whether proper mediation is the only way the Corrib gas project dispute can be resolved; his further views on whether proper mediation is necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6499/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 356: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he expects issues affecting the Corrib gas pipeline to be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7065/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 117, 147, 164, 330, 331, 332, 333 and 356 together.

I commissioned an international consulting company, Advantica, on 25 August 2005 to carry out a thorough and independent safety review of the onshore upstream section of the Corrib gas pipeline. Advantica are world leaders in the area of advanced hazard and risk assessment technologies for gas pipelines.

In parallel with this safety review, I established a public consultation process to ensure that the concerns of the community would be fully addressed in this review. As part of this process, a two day public hearing was held in Geesala on 12 and 13 October, chaired by Mr. John Gallagher SC, during which the community was given the opportunity to express its concerns directly to the consultants. The consultants also made a separate site inspection of the pipeline route.

The results of this review have now been forwarded to my Department and I am considering it and an additional report from my Department's technical advisory group in this regard. I hope to make a decision regarding the outstanding consents for the pipeline in the near future.

Deputies will also be aware that following consultation with relevant parties Mr. Peter Cassells was engaged as a mediator in relation to the issues in dispute. The mediation process, including any role for the Mediators' Institute, is a matter for Mr. Cassells and I do not wish to comment on the process at this stage.

The reference in one question to recent large gas finds arises from an article in a business magazine reporting an estimate of the resource potential which was carried out for one operator and from reportage of a farm-in agreement in an offshore licence. Both references are to the potential resources in the areas and do not constitute discoveries, much less commercial finds.