The Minister of State for Labour Affairs, Mr Frank Fahey, has denied that he is lobbying western TDs on the need to retain the Corrib gas field development at the request of the Shell subsidiary, Enterprise Energy Ireland.
Mr Fahey has also denied that he has invited Enterprise Energy Ireland's chief executive, Mr Andy Pyle, to the meeting with western Oireachtas members in the Dáil tomorrow. Mr Fahey, who was marine minister during key stages of the Corrib gas field project, was responding yesterday to concerns expressed about the meeting by the Mayo Independent TD, Dr Jerry Cowley. Dr Cowley said he thought it was "inappropriate" that Mr Pyle should be invited. In his letter of invitation, dated May 2nd, Mr Fahey says: "Further to the recent Bord Pleanála decision on the Corrib gas field, there is now a major concern that the project will be delayed indefinitely."
"The purpose of the meeting is to get a political consensus in support of the project and to urge Enterprise Energy Ireland/Royal Dutch Shell to proceed with the new application for planning permission, which will comply with the requirements of the planning authority and An Bord Pleanála."
"I have asked Andy Pyle, managing director, Enterprise Energy Ireland, to meet with west of Ireland Oireachtas members who wish to see the project proceed so that we can demonstrate the widespread support that exists in the west of Ireland for Corrib gas.
"Given that the planning application was refused by An Bord Pleanála on one issue only, that of the storage of peat, I believe it is important that we show a cross party political consensus for the continuation of the project."
Mr Fahey said he had "not spoken to Andy Pyle" and that Dr Cowley may have misunderstood his letter. "I have requested a meeting with Mr Pyle that would follow on from our discussion on Wednesday," he said.
He added that the site of the proposed terminal was not the issue - in that an alternative site could be looked at by the company, after last week's An Bord Pleanála ruling on Bellanaboy. "The issue is trying to get a consensus for this project," he said. The Mayo Independent TD, Dr Cowley, said he would attend the meeting, but would be calling on the company to build a shallow water platform offshore for processing gas from the field. The inspector's report from An Bord Pleanála has demonstrated that this was the international norm. "An offshore platform will create over 1,000 jobs, and will be safer and environmentally preferable to an onshore site," Dr Cowley said.
Dr Cowley said that it was "crucial" the development went ahead, but the "subservient" approach being adopted by Mr Fahey was "a bit of an insult to the western deputies".