Written answers

Thursday, 12 May 2011

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Ministerial Meetings

3:00 pm

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 21: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has met the chairman of the North West Forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10833/11]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The North West Mayo Forum was established in 2008 with the dual objectives of providing an opportunity for dialogue between parties with an interest in the Corrib gas project and offering an opportunity for furthering the socio-economic development of the North West Mayo Region.

While it was intended that membership of the Forum would include a broad representation from local community groups, those groups opposed to the Corrib gas project declined to participate in the Forum.

Over the course of its first year, five meetings of the Forum were held. In the past eighteen months the Forum met only once, and that was just over a year ago. A decision has not been taken to convene a further meeting of the Forum at this time and I have not met with the Forum's Chairman.

Comments

Lucy Bingham McAndrew
Posted on 14 May 2011 8:06 am (Report this comment)

Dear Mr Rabbitte,
With respect, I would contend, as a resident and someone with concerns about the critical state of the environment with regard to biodiversity loss, that the North West Mayo Forum does not and has never represented all interested parties. Nor does it provide a forum for discussion and negotiation on issues of concern (amongst which is the impact of the proposed project on a Natura 2000 site). Certainly some platform for dialogue needs to be provided. But questions hang over many elements of the forum itself - in particular, what kinds of interests are represented - as well as clarity over the nature of discussions taking place. As your own comment suggests, there is also a disparity between the purported role of the forum and its actual performance (why, in other words, has it not met for so long? What discussions took place around the different concerns and interests of the parties involved and where was this information disseminated?) And, in particular, how were environmental interests represented, given that the proposed project runs through an EU designated site, and given Ireland's poor record on the protection of its natural heritage (see, for instance, the ECJ ruling on waste water and sewerage: did you know that Belmullet town still has no sewerage? Has anyone ever clarified what happened to sewerage from the plant during the early years of construction?) I would be interested to learn how you propose to address these and other outstanding issues.

Log in or join to post a public comment.