Ahern to be pressed on Corrib pipeline issue

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister for Natural Resources Noel Dempsey are to come under increasing pressure from politicians who support the campaign against the Corrib gas pipeline, when the Dáil resumes this week.

At a press conference in Dublin yesterday, Labour's Tommy Broughan, the Green Party's Éamon Ryan, Independent Catherine Murphy and Socialist Joe Higgins said they were hopeful the trade union movement would make a statement during the week in support of the five jailed landowners known as the Rossport Five.

A support rally and march will be held in Dublin city centre on Saturday.

Calling on Shell to waive the injunction against the five men, Mr Broughan said the men should be involved in the upcoming public hearings of the Corrib Technical Advisory Group. Mr Broughan said the prospect of getting the gas ashore safely could then be worked out.

Mr Ryan said the proposed two- day hearings were less than the full inquiry which the law required. That could only be set aside if the submissions were deemed to be vexatious, frivolous or purely relating to compensation. While this was clearly not the case, the then minister Frank Fahey had, in 2002, decided not to have a full hearing.

"Such a hearing would now let all sides make their case. We need to be told how a 9km pipeline could be safe in a bog which can move."

Mr Higgins said it was "outrageous" that the five men remained in jail. The group would work in the Dáil to ensure "the full responsibility falls on the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. We will put him under massive pressure to ensure they may not escape responsibility as they have been trying to do for many months."

Ms Murphy said the public consultation and inquiry had been a "flawed process with a flawed outcome". Prison she said was a place for people who were a danger to society" and it was no place for the "Rossport Five".

Independent Mayo TD Dr Jerry Cowley, who was in Norway last week, sent his apologies to yesterday's press conference but said in a statement afterwards that "the strong message from members of the Norwegian parliament, trade unions, and Statoil executives is that this situation would not be tolerated in Norway". "There would be no question of going ahead with such a project without the consent of the people," he added. The campaign has been refused permission from Dublin City Council to put up posters advertising Saturday's rally. It has set up a website with details at www.shelltosea.com

Lorna Siggins adds:

Fine Gael TD Michael Ring has criticised the appearance by Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey before a joint Oireachtas committee meeting on the Corrib gas issue today, a day before the Dáil returns, as a "tactic designed to try and defuse attention". Mr Ring intends to seek a Dáil debate and says he will raise the matter "every day until it is resolved".

Mr Dempsey's department had denied a week ago that he would appear before the committee today. The Oireachtas committee chair, Noel O'Flynn TD (FF), said the debate would not deal with the specific issue of the imprisonment of the five men who are opposed to the pipeline, due to the legal implications. Mr Ring said he would be demanding a Dáil debate on the role played by former marine minister Frank Fahey in granting approvals for the Corrib gas project.