The five Mayo men who have been jailed indefinitely for contempt of court over their opposition to the Corrib gas pipeline have called on Shell E&P Ireland to withdraw all threats of imprisonment and financial ruin which are "hanging over the people of north Mayo".
In a statement issued from Mountjoy jail through relatives yesterday, the five have called on Shell to stop all "illegal" development at Rossport and to cease all current development associated with the gas project in Erris.
They have also called on the Government to renegotiate the deal with oil and gas exploration companies agreed under the 1992 Finance Act, to ensure there is a better return to the State.
Three of the five men, Willie Corduff and Vincent and Philip McGrath, are due back in the High Court today on a separate order sought by Shell over obstruction of work on the €900 million project.
A company spokesman would not comment on its failure to cite several other residents, including landowner Bríd McGarry, whose names had been taken as part of the legal proceedings.
Shell E&P Ireland said that there was no illegal development in Rossport and it was the High Court which had taken action in relation to imprisonment. However, Mayo County Council confirmed last night that it had issued warning notices to Shell and Roadbridge Ltd over unauthorised developments at Rossport, Co Mayo. The notices were issued on June 29th and 30th, it said. The developments relate to a septic tank.
Shell said its senior company representatives had attended a "very useful" meeting on Wednesday night with four TDs from the Mayo area, and MEP Marian Harkin, which was chaired by the Council for the West. It said it had "agreed to consider all of the issues that arose" and was available for any meetings which might help to resolve the situation.
However, Independent Mayo TD Dr Jerry Cowley described the Council for the West meeting as a "sham" and said the only proposal made was to ask Shell to defer work for a fortnight while discussions took place.
"It was Shell who put these people in jail, and it is up to Shell now to resolve it by building an offshore platform," he said. Dr Cowley called on Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey to intervene and set up an inquiry. He said "serious questions" needed to be asked about how Shell had "been able to bypass the existing planning regulations, aided and abetted by the Government".
Dr Cowley is holding a protest in Castlebar, Co Mayo, on Sunday.
Green Party TD Eamon Ryan called on Shell to waive the court order which has led to the imprisonment of the five. Mr Ryan said it was "remarkable" that Shell had "pursued this course even when the Minister of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey has not yet given full and final consent for the contentious pipeline project".
The Minister has yet to approve phase three of the installation and commissioning phase for the pipeline.
Protests were held over the jailings in north Mayo and Galway city yesterday and Bord na Móna workers involved in the transfer of peat from the Bellanaboy terminal site walked off in anger at the men's imprisonment. Up to 200 people participated in the protests in Rossport and Bellanaboy.
In Galway, about 100 people, including several dozen members of the Nigerian and Congolese communities in Galway and Ennis, Co Clare, joined a protest hosted by the Shell to Sea group at the Shell terminal.
The protesters marched to the offices of the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív. Mr Ó Cuív described the move as "discourteous and intimidatory" for his three female staff, as he was not present.