Wednesday night saw the Shell to Sea campaign hit Kilkenny as they try to renew awareness about the Mayo campaign. One of the five men jailed last year for attempting to prevent an overland high-pressure gas pipe being run through their small Gaeltacht community was guest speaker. Myself, Cllr. Malcolm Noonan of the Green Party and Sinn Féin's Kathleen Funchion also spoke alonside teacher Micheál Ó Seidhin.
It was a privilege to speak alongside Micheál, whom I described genuinely as one of the bravest people I have met. He is also witty and exceptionally knowledgeable, and he got away with something I never would-speaking for an hour and twenty minutes!!
The continuing scandal of the situation in Rossport was outlined by him. I was able to set the context thanks to an excellent briefing from Tommy Broughan T.D., our spokesperson on Energy, who Micheál praised for his, and our, consistent support and work on the campaign. I hope that Tommy gets his head when we return to Government and that we sort out this mess for once and for all. I also hope that we reverse the Fianna Fáil/PD sell-out to the multinationals and follow the Norwegian example of controlling our natural resources for the benefit of our own people.
If you want to learn more about the campaign visit the Shell to Sea website, or view the superb report by the Centre for Public Enquiry here. The quality of that report shows why the centre was hatcheted by Michael McDowell. While I have my reservations about Frank Connolly, we need an independent body like this to help us all keep a close eye on the golden triangle which will be camped in the tent at the Galway races next week.
2 comments:
For Energizer. I know you left the comment in the wrong place, but here's the response anyway. If you seriously think that the Rossport people are Luddites, then you need to meet and listen to Micheál Ó Seidhin, and his views on progress. You also need to read the CPI report in the body of this story. I agree we need the gas and soon, but not at the expense of people's living and their environment. Peter Cassells' report recommends moving the line, and that might offer a solution, but I think that processing the gas offshore is affordable, though it might reduce the profits of these impoverished multinationals a little! I hope we can get a sensible solution which enhaces our fuel self-sufficiency, although by Shell's estimates, only for 8 years, but also allows the Rossport indigenous people their right to a decent life.
I'll go a long way down the road with your comments, IF the Rossport people accept Peter Cassels report. I don't believe they will. Luddites, Provos, I don't know, and I hate name-calling in a discussion like this. I just have a funny feeling that NOBODY wants to work towards a solution. It should be remembered that gaslines criss-cross the country from the Kinsale gasfield, and from the Irish Sea interconnector, and the sky hasn't fallen in yet!
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