TWO GOVERNMENT Ministers, Royal Dutch Shell and representatives of the north Mayo community are due to engage in the first direct talks on the Corrib gas conflict in Dublin on Friday
The discussions will have an “open agenda”, and it is understood that Shell will be represented by John Gallagher, Shell EP Europe vice-president (technical) and Terry Nolan, Shell EP Ireland managing director, along with Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan and Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív.
The talks will take place at Mr Ó Cuív’s department, and will be chaired by former justice department secretary Joe Brosnan, who was appointed to head a ministerial forum on the issue late last year.
Members of groups Pobal Chill Chomáin and Pobal le Chéile will represent the north Mayo community at the discussions, following endorsement of the Ministers’ invitation at a public meeting in Erris late last week.
Pobal Chill Chomáin was formed to support a compromise proposal on the gas project, and includes members of the “Rossport Five” who were jailed in 2005 over their health and safety concerns about the onshore pipeline.
Pobal le Chéile represents business interests who are also anxious to seek a resolution which takes into account the community’s continued health and safety concerns.
Both groups are perceived to be more moderate than Shell to Sea, but both have so far declined to participate in the ministerial forum chaired by Mr Brosnan because of restricted terms of reference.
In a joint statement yesterday, the two Ministers said that “the aim of this meeting is to try to resolve issues in relation to the Corrib gas project”.
The Ministers said they hoped that all parties would “enter the talks in a positive and open manner”, and “have agreed that the meeting will be conducted in an even-handed way and that it will have an open agenda with no predetermined outcome”.
Shell EP Ireland said it welcomed the opportunity to “participate in a positive and open manner in these talks”.
“Pobal Chill Chomáin and Pobal le Chéile have at all times been committed to an agreed solution to the Corrib dispute, one that above all else takes into account the concerns we have for our health, safety, environment and the long-term sustainability of our community,” the two groups said.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has already indicated that it will initiate separate mediation on the issue between Shell and Pobal Chill Chomáin, following confirmation that a complaint lodged by the north Mayo community is “admissible”.