Broughan meets Statoil

national | environment | press release Thursday September 29, 2005 16:30 by cf - labour

Labour Party Spokesperson on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Tommy appeals to representatives of Statoil to urgently request their partners Shell to collapse the injunction and ensure that the five rossport men go free

Labour Party Spokesperson on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Tommy Broughan, met senior Statoil executives for a wide-ranging discussion on the Corrib dispute this morning. Today’s meeting with Helge Hatlestad, Statoil Senior Vice President for International Development and Production (D&P) and Peter Smith, Statoil D&P Manager for Ireland and the UK, resulted from the Labour Party’s repeated requests since early July for such a meeting.

Deputy Broughan commented, “I outlined the health and safety concerns regarding the rossport pipeline which had led to the five rossport citizens being imprisoned. I also reported on the local unhappiness with the planning and Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) process and especially with the issuing of the 2002 consents by former Minister Frank Fahey. I questioned the two Staoil executives on their attitude to an offshore refinery solution and appealed to them to liase with their partners Shell to immediately waive the court injunction and allow the rossport citizens to return to their families.

“A lengthy debate followed on all aspects of the safety and development of the project. I welcomed the growing involvement of the senior management of Statoil in efforts to find a resolution of this impasse. I also indicated that I was in contact with the Norwegian Labour Party and hoped to speak to the incoming Labour Ministers of the new Norwegian government. It was acknowledged that many Irish people admired the way the Norwegian state and Statoil had managed Norway’s natural resources for the benefit of the Norwegian people.

“At the conclusion of the meeting I again appealed to the Statoil managers to urgently request their partners Shell to collapse the injunction and ensure that the five rossport men go free as the first crucial step in working out a solution acceptable to all the parties involved.”