SHELL HAS said that all work on the Corrib gas project continued as scheduled yesterday in response to claims by a protest group that a “day of action” had disrupted deliveries to the company’s site in north Mayo.
Almost 20 Shell to Sea protesters had gathered in Aughoose, the preparatory site for the proposed underwater tunnel for the Corrib gas pipeline.
“The day was a success,” Shell to Sea’s Terence Conway said, “because all deliveries have been abandoned. The protests against this project will continue.”
However, the company said it was business as usual.
There were no reported incidents during the protest, which was overseen by a small number of gardaí and members of the IRMS security company, employed by Shell.
Sara Bassiuoni, the Amnesty International-Front Line human rights observer who has been assigned to monitor the response to demonstrations at the Corrib gas project, was also present.
The Pobal Chill Chomáin community group, which opposes the project in its present configuration, was not represented.
Spokesman Willie Corduff, one of five men imprisoned in 2005 over opposition to the Corrib gas project, said that local people were putting their trust in the courts.
A High Court judicial review of permissions granted for the work is due to be heard on October 11th.
The judicial review was sought by An Taisce and local residents into permissions granted by An Bord Pleanála and the then acting minister for communications, energy and natural resources, Pat Carey, for the pipeline and the plan of development under section 40 of the Gas Act.