Enda Was Not Found

by myself Fri Aug 05, 2005 15:51

Thursday 4th August 2005

Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny TD has welcomed tonight’s announcement by Shell that it has deferred the development of the offshore phase of its Corrib Gas project until next year.

“Tonight’s announcement is a positive initiative by the company which should help to ease tensions and create space in which a rational debate on the safety aspects of the project can progress. It will also allow the independent safety review, which was first proposed by Fine Gael, to proceed in an atmosphere in which all major works on the project have been effectively halted.

“I would urge the Rossport residents still held in Clover Hill Prison to reflect very seriously on this development and on whether they can most effectively contribute to the very important safety debate by returning to their community and families.”

by Áine Fri Aug 05, 2005 16:35

Enda may be pleased with the developments but as yet it is not possible for the Rossport 5 to purge their contempt as long as the injunction stands. It seems that Shell can waive the injunction - not sure about the legal lingo but effectively they can take it away - but will not.

As it stands, if the men purge it means giving an undertaking that they will not, at any time in the future, use any peaceful means to protect their communities if it means obstucting Shell in any way. They CAN NOT give that undertaking.

They are more than willing to apologise to the courts, but will not give up their right to protect themselves, their families and their communities.

Shell have the power to have the men released but will not use it. They are cowards!!

Enda needs to stand by his people and put pressure on Shell to lift the injunction now. He CAN NOT sit on the fence on this one.

by krossie Fri Aug 05, 2005 16:41

what''s this myself do I hear a rustling in the undergrowth as a young fine gaeler breaks from cover............................?

I remember talking with one of the lads: Vincent (http://www.mcgrathmusic.com/) before they went in last June.

He was telling me that he sent registered letters to all the local TDs just so that when it broke into the meeja they couldn't pretend they new nothing about it.

Later he heard that as soon as Enda Kenny had got his letter he ran straight to Andy Pyle head of Shell EFA Ireland to ask him for guidance.

We all know who these mother fuckers represent and it sure as hell ain't their Constituents - but who knows maybe the people of mayo have got quite an enjoyable taste of how powerful it is to collectively *represent yourself* in the abscence of political parasites

as for the other rabbitte........

Krossie

www.anarkismo.net

by Rational Fri Aug 05, 2005 17:12

Yeah, heard Kenny on the radio this morning. I lost count of how many times he called for "rational debate", as if to imply that the Rossport campaigners are not being "rational". So anyone who does not toe the Shell/FF line is by implicational "irrational". That is clearly an implied insult.

by myself Fri Aug 05, 2005 18:30

Two TDs at the centre of the campaign - independent deputy Jerry Cowley and Fine Gael poll-topper Michael Ring - are approaching hero status in Mayo for their work on the campaign. Where one or two are gathered, so too will there be TDs. Yesterday's rally in Dublin saw Dáil deputies join busloads of Mayo protesters, following the success of similar rallies in Castlebar, Ballina and Belmullet.

Ring: “If Fine Gael had taken my approach we'd have been leading the campaign, instead of listening to people who know nothing about Mayo, but who want to see the gas coming out of Mayo,” he said.

“This way offers no benefits - all Mayo is getting is the risks.”

Ring opposed the Shell pipeline as a local councillor back in 2001.

“This was a lonely battle in the county as a councillor. I got criticised by Fianna Fáil and by my own,” he said.

“But if Shell had listened to me in 2001 - and if the council had listened to the assessment of this project by An Bord Pleanála - they wouldn't have the problems they have now,” said Ring.

“Instead, Shell got the full support of the county council and of ministers above and beyond the call of duty. We all agree that we want the gas - but it's how it's brought in is the question. I believe this is a health and safety matter.”

A spokesman for Fine Gael said the party leader believed there was “one project on the table that has approval, and that's the one we're trying to deal with'‘.

Kenny has stated that he supports the Shell project “in the common good'‘, but is calling for more health and safety investigations.

“There's a little bit of local politics, and everybody is rushing to be seen to be on the right side locally.

“But Enda says there is one project and to pick another solution off the shelf is not going to address the issue,” the FG spokesman said.

by Justin Morahan - Peace People Sat Aug 06, 2005 16:27

I'm not sure if the poster calling hirself "myself" is Enda Kenny's press agent or not but the postings read like press releases and excuses for him not being available to give a comment here.
The phrase attributed to him in the Sunday Business Post is inane: “ 'But Enda says there is one project and to pick another solution off the shelf is not going to address the issue,' the FG spokesman said".
Here we don't know
1) what is meant by "one project"
2) what "another solution" means, (nor even what the first solution was that he had in mind)
3) what "picking this other solution off the shelf" means
4) what "issue" is not going "to be addressed" if "another solution" to "one project" is going to be "picked off the shelf".
Enda Kenny is an intelligent man, and can express himself intelligibly when he has something to say.
Once I asked him outside the Dáil to raise an issue inside: he made a promise and kept it
I don't associate him for one second with the brown envelope brand of politics that has bedevilled Ireland for so long. Instead, I believe that his convictions for fair play and above-the-board dealing are not strongly enough implanted in him to force him to make a stand. Especially when powerful Corporations might be the enemy and political allies might desert him.
For a leader of Fine Gael who has re-energised his own party, the above statement attributed to him is just not good enough.
The facts are that Shell has been powerful enough to get the Irish courts to send five men to jail for defending their rights against the giant multinationals. But the State has not even tried to send Shell managers to jail for laying pipelines in contravention of Irish law.
Leading a political party is not an easy thing to do, but if you are in that high position of influence, you should face the facts, state the truth, defend the underdog and stand by your principles.
Praising the offending companies for "making a positive initiative" to the Rossport families when they (Shell) are the offenders who have trampled on the families' rights and sent the innocent five to jail - this does not have a ring of either courage or truth.

by Darragh Sat Aug 06, 2005 19:25 darragh25 at hotmail dot com

I just hope you folks in Mayo remember the smarmy and snake like approach you are seeing from Enda Kenny at the moment in relation to what is happening in Mayo, come the next general election. Himself and Pat Rabitte just want to form the next government at any cost, they appear utterly desperate, with nothing whatsoever of use to offer to the electorate, besides a few smarmy and useless comments that offer nothing at all to the debate, other than showing a thinly veiled contempt for those of us who are protesting about the situation in Mayo at the moment.

It's because of people like Enda Kenny, that we have a useless political administration in office at the moment in Ireland, because the opposition are even more useless, and the cowardly antics of FF and FG politicans up and down the country, insofar as they are utterly silent in relation to this dispute, just pay testament to this fact. The only exception I make to this list is Michael Ring (FG), who has had the courage to express his own opinion on what is happening.

The majority of politicans in Ireland are cowardly, "afraid to rock the boat", in it for their own ego and their expenses, totally lacking in imagination and conviction, and are basically useless.

Fair play to the people of Mayo for discovering people who are in the business of politics because they actually have something to offer, such as Dr. Jerry Crowley & Michael Ring.

The sooner people in Ireland start waking up to the fact that voting a person with political courage and conviction into office, instead of an utterly useless political party, will result in a new dawn in Ireland, the closer the day will come where what is happening in Mayo and also what we all know is happening up and down the country, will be over.

My money says they will all get elected again and again, and we have only ourselves to blame, 'cos we haven't yet learnt that we should boot politicans who fail to represent the people who elected them, out of their offices and onto their sorry arses! I wonder was WB Yeats thinking of Ireland 2005 when he wrote the verse below (September 1913):

"Was it for this the wild geese spread
They grey wing upon every tide;
For this that all the blood was shed,
For this Edward Fitzgerald died,
And Robert Emmet and Wolfe Tone,
All that delirium of the brave?
Romantic Ireland's dead and gone,
It's with O'Leary in the grave."

WB Yeats.


To think that people died so that we may have a vote, so that we can vote for these people...

by salis Mon Aug 08, 2005 16:58

I would never vote FG or Enda KEnny but its becoming a joke,its so politicised against Enda Kenny now,grow up lads.

by Shipsea Mon Aug 08, 2005 18:24

What else would it be? This is a political discussion! 'Smarmy' is exactly the right word for most FG politicians. They put up pale ojections to the legislation that FF are passing everyday but are secretly thrilled that its FF who get to wear the unpopularity for a programme of government they wholeheartedly support. They can appear to object but if they get in power, will they reverse it all? Will they f**k! Of the two, Labour are the most treachorous. They are cultivating all the main lobby groups with sympathetic noises but will shaft every last one of them once they have their greedly little paws on the reins. Ive never known an FG politician who wasnt arrogant and patronising. SF could really change the landscape of Irish politics if they had any kind of political integrity and put forward strong candidates. But watch them take the corporate dollar if they get the chance! They are already supporting PPP in the North - a very bad sign.

by shipsea Mon Aug 08, 2005 18:37

Dpes anyone have contact email addresses for Shell senior management - here and at head office at which we can register our opposition to what is happening to these 5 men?

by Darragh Mon Aug 08, 2005 19:55 darragh25 at hotmail dot com

Hi Shipsea,

You can e-mail Shell's top man in Ireland at andy.pyle@shell.com. I mailed him my thoughts on this situation, and I also CC/copied him on an e-mail I sent to Bertie Ahern, outlining why I would NEVER again vote for an FF candidate in my own constituency (Dublin West), due to what I see is happening in Co. Mayo, and the jailing of 5 honourable fellow citizens at the request of Shell.

I thought it would do no harm to also CC/copy my local FF politican, so that he knows that its not only the candidates in Mayo who have something to fear come the next election. I think this is the only thing that will place the wedge firmly between FF and Shell, when FF begin to realise that they are utterly fu*ked in the next election because of this situation. If we all did this, we'd see Shell being put to Sea by this government in jig time!