The five Mayo men jailed for contempt of court over the Corrib gas pipeline have asked the Taoiseach to intervene and resolve the situation.
During a meeting with six TDs and an MEP in Dublin's Cloverhill Prison yesterday, where the men have been held for the last 65 days, the men dismissed a suggested solution from Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte.
Tony Gregory TD said the only way the men would now be released was if the Shell oil company lifted its injunction restraining the men from interfering with work on the pipeline.
"Arising from our visit we have been asked by the men to request a meeting with the Taoiseach and with the Norwegian ambassador on the basis of the Norwegian company Statoil's involvement in the project, and the fact that the Norwegian state will make more out of Corrib than the Irish State," said Mr Gregory.
On Tuesday, Mr Rabbitte suggested that the men could be freed if they apologised to the court, while Shell simultaneously withdrew the injunction. He added that the Government needed to appoint an agreed negotiator to report on issues of concern to the men.
"I'm afraid the men didn't think much of Rabbitte's suggestion," said Mr Gregory. "We specifically asked them about it and they dismissed it out of hand . . . they say that considering work on the project is halted and will probably remain so until the end of the year, the only purpose the injunction serves is to keep them in prison," he said.
A spokesman for the five men confirmed their wish for the seven politicians to meet with Mr Ahern and the Norwegian ambassador. He described Mr Rabbitte's suggestions as "redundant" and "not practical".
"The first step has to be for Shell to lift the injunction," he said. "The men cannot enter into dialogue while in captivity. They are prepared to purge their contempt, but not while the injunction is in place.
"Appointing a negotiator would be redundant because this is a dispute about safety and safety is not something that can be negotiated in principle . . . the men are happy to talk direct to Shell on this, but the injunction must be lifted," he said.
Mr Gregory, who visited the men with TDs Jerry Cowley, Joe Higgins, Finian McGrath, Catherine Murphy, Séamus Healy and MEP Marian Harkin, said that despite spending more than two months behind bars, the men were more determined than ever.
Mr Gregory criticised Mr Rabbitte and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny who, he said, had "let the Government off the hook".
A spokesman for Shell repeated last night that lifting the injunction would undermine the company's legal position.