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Community & Environment profits should be a national issue. The Corrib Gas field is estimated to yield between !12 billion and !100 billion.
Campaigners Maura Harrington and Pat O’Donnell. people of the country as cleanly as possible.” Next up, a jeep arrived on the scene driven by Pat O’Donnell, the lobster-fisherman who has declined to move his pots out of Shell’s way. Not put off by repeat arrests (under what he says is an abuse of the Public Order Act) while he tended to his pots, Pat says he has one thing on his side and oddly enough - given his experience of policing in the area - it is the law. Pat’s pots cannot be interfered with as the law stands. This may have had as much to do with the ‘Solitaire’ withdrawing from the area as Maura’s hunger-strike or the “accident” that happened the pipe-laying vessel. ON THE PLUS SIDE “The community will not heal for a
that new recruits in particular may “pick up bad habits” on postings to Erris. Back on the campaign ditch, a new man had turned up, one Ed Collins. He took a half NO COMMUNITY GARDAI hour to tell his story of human rights abuses Beside the hunger-striker’s car, a half-dozen by Gardai on a particularly violent day in Gardai stood chatting to each other as they Erris in 2006. His story has been documented lapped up the day’s warm sunshine. Over by Global Community Monitor and his the following day, some of them would be injuries have seriously affected his health. involved in yet again arresting people under Ed’s experience – dreadful as it is – is not an the Public Order Act. isolated one. There have been other complaints None of them was a Community Gardai. over Garda harassment of environmental They didn’t know if there was a Community campaigners in Erris. Garda in the area and gave me the local The situation in Erris is not pretty. Had station number to call. Apart from that, they Shell – if you can imagine this - adopted a were unable to comment. A Community Garda Community Development approach to the from outside the area who wished to remain project, the gas would probably be flowing by anonymous later told me that he was anxious now. Sometimes the long road is the fastest road.
Ministers Ó Cuív and Ryan raise hopes generation. There’s been too much hurt,” said the 51-year-old. Ed Collins was hurt Surprisingly, the conflict has not stopped Pat talking to people: “I talk to everyone, even John Egan. I talked to him last week to ask for an apology.” He said that on the plus side, he had “made greater friends in the last three years than you could ever imagine.” He said he “didn’t know such strong people existed” before the campaign started. One of the best-known campaigners is Maura. She is advocating on the national issue of oil and gas “robbery”, whereby exploration companies supposedly get the best deals in the world here in Ireland. I didn’t speak to her. The doctor had just called to check her health and she had made her message clear - that the “giveaway” of gas
In late September, Government Ministers Éamon Ó Cuív and Eamon Ryan visited the Erris area and met the campaigners, lobbyists and gas companies for informal talks. Shell and the environmental campaign groups afterwards expressed their support for the Ministers in their efforts to find a resolution. It marked the first engagement by Government at senior level with those
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involved since 2005. Minister Ó Cuív stressed that he and Minister Ryan were in attendance in “a listening role”. Local community groups, Pobal Chill Chomáin and Pobal le Chéile said in a statement that the initiative was “acceptance by the Government that there are serious problems surrounding the project that require urgent attention”. They welcomed the Government-level intervention. The Ministers’ next move will be met with interest. For the time being, their visit has at least raised some hope in the local community.
Erris Le Chéile CDP’s position Erris le Chéile CDP based in Belmullet, Co. Mayo, has made a point of not taking sides in the Corrib Gas dispute. To better understand the project’s approach, read ‘Keeping the door open in a divided community’ (in Issue 22). To read about Erris Le Cheile CDP’s work with young people, parents, gay people, and those effected by alcohol and drugs, check out stories in issues 18, 20 and 22: www.changingireland.ie/archive.html
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