Higgins to draw Norwegian attention to ongoing crisis in Erris

Wednesday April 09, 2008 18:00

by mdh - Labour

The Labour Party President and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Michael D Higgins TD, is in Norway, as part of a broad-based community delegation including members of Kilcommon parish in Erris.

Also in the group are Rossport Five members Philip McGrath, Willie Corduff (winner of the 2007 Goldman Prize) and his wife Mary, and musician Vincent McGrat, and local farmer PJ Moran and fisherman Patrick O'Donnell, as well as Caitlin Ui Seighin, wife of Micheal O'Seighin, who previously visited Norway while her husband was in jail in 2005 for
opposing the Corrib gas scheme, and Galway Green Party Cllr Niall O'Brolchain, and Mayo Councillor Noel Campbell of Sinn Fein.

Deputy Higgins said: “I am pleased to have the opportunity to travel to Oslo. The reason for this trip is to make public in Norway the concerns and worries surrounding the controversial Corrib gas saga. The Norwegian people, and their policy makers, are stakeholders in the project through their interest in Statoil. The delegation will be arguing that, by their involvement in the Corrib gas project, Statoil has departed from the standards that they would ordinarily apply in Norway.

“While in Norway we will meet, in the Norwegian Parliament, the Norwegian Centre Party's spokespersons on Environment and Energy and on Foreign Affairs. We will also hold meetings with various Norwegian NGOs such as Attac Norway and the Norwegian NGO forum. We hope also to be in a position to have a meetings with representatives of Statoil.

“The Corrib gas conflict urgently needs resolution. Our delegation hopes that Norwegian political and civic society representatives will play their part in ensuring that Statoil develops a Corrib gas project that has the support and consent of the people of the Erris community.”

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Comments (11 of 11)

Michael D at Bellanaboy

by Tuber

Wed Apr 09, 2008 23:29

Very short video of the President of the Labour Party at the refinery site

measured

by O'Foighil

Thu Apr 10, 2008 02:15

I note that Michael D. makes a measured statement about the Corrib gas project - "Our delegation hopes that Norwegian political and civic society representatives will play their part in ensuring that Statoil develops a Corrib gas project that has the support and consent of the people of the Erris community.”

The Erris people from the above statement are not against the project as such but hope to see one that meets their environmental and social concerns. Indymedia threads have focused understandably on activist campaigning against the current sorry and cynical mess created by the company and its shareholder backers and the unsatisfactory EPA and government consultation and decision making procedures. It would be urgently useful for the Erris residents to spell out once more what they seek from the Statoil company and the Irish Government. I think their voices, not those of weekend blow-in city activists, are what need to be heard clearly and often.

blow-in's like Michael D?

by Inver

Thu Apr 10, 2008 22:52

"Weekend blow in city activists".. for fucks sake.

Do you think Statoil is a local company? Do you think the billions upon billions of dollars from the natural gas in Corrib should be shared amongst the people of Erris, and the rest of the country can go hang? Doesn't the taxpayer deserve a return?

Do you think Michael D Higgins ( a weekend blow in from Galway) should keep quiet while the people of Erris sort out the local issue of having a two giant multi national companies supported by the national government of Ireland on their doorstep?

Thanks god for weekend blow-ins and God preserve us from stay-at-home hot air merchants.

What is the crisis?

by Don

Fri Apr 11, 2008 17:40

As far as I know the shell project has support of the local people. But what is the enviromental concerns? I ask this seriously because I see it mention on indymedia frequently without much explanation. I dont believe everything I read. I'd like some facts please.

For anyone interested, shell dont print promotional t-shirts. I e-mailed and asked.

Labour gave away the Gas

by Goldie

Fri Apr 11, 2008 17:49

Michael D. Higgins was a member of the Government from 1992-1997. Labour were in power when the Gas was given away to these multinationals.

The PDs

Fri Apr 11, 2008 18:36

Was it not the previous FF/PD government that sold the oil?

wrong infromation- right information

by pale rider

Fri Apr 11, 2008 20:15

"As far as I know the shell project has support of the local people"

You don't know much then. Here's some reading for you :

Quick Overview:
http://mayogasinfo.com/

More detail: CPI Report on Corrib
www.publicinquiry.ie/reports.php#ld196

The Proposed Corrib Onshore System - An Independent Analysis
"This report raises serious concerns about the completeness of previous key leveraging statements, misrepresentations, mischaracterisations, prior risk analyses, and conclusions regarding safety
decisions driving current siting choices for the proposed Corrib onshore facilities.

www.publicinquiry.ie/reports.php#ld197

Global Community Monitor
www.gcmonitor.org/article.php?list=type&type=61

YouTube videos
www.youtube.ie/shelltohell

Wider Shell related info
www.royaldutchshellplc.com

if you're unable to sopare ANY time more than a couple of minutes, there's a nice, recent overview of the Corrib issue from a blog here: http://capedcrusading.blogspot.com/2008/03/irish-govt-s....html

Goldie

by Fearbolg - S2S

Sat Apr 12, 2008 21:42

'Labour were in power when the gas was given away'. Wrong and stupid. The current deal was done from '87 to '92, by Ray Burke,

Bertie et al. Will you please read up on these issues before you make an amadán of yourself again.

news

by local

Sat Apr 12, 2008 22:30

Did anybody know what happen in Norway, did the goverment give any help?

Labour Party

by LY

Sun Apr 13, 2008 00:19

While FF are no doubt to blame for the lion's share of this giveaway, Labour were in power since. They were in coalition with FF and then later with FG. Democratic Left politicians who now in positions of power in Labour were also part of this later coalition. They had ample opportunity to change things in regard to royalties and licences, but they did nothing.

So of course people are confused and uncertain as to whether they mean it when they say they would change it. Dick Spring called the deal an act of economic treason in 1992, but then he was in power himself later and did nothing to undo it. Shame.

Info

Sun Apr 13, 2008 02:04

Anyone interested in the history of Ireland's recent involvement with the Oil companies could take a look at the latest posting on the S2S

website.

It's a brief but accurate synopsis of the sort of corruption that we used to think only happened in the most abject Third World dictatorships.

For the record, between '92 and '96, the oil companies were as secretive as ever about the level of activity and/or success in the Irish

offshore. Even when Corrib was announced in '96, Enterprise played down its signifigance, describing it as 'marginal'. This was enough

to confuse the lúdramáns in Leinster House who were still trying to figure out the difference between the E.E.C and the E.U.

In '97, when Enterprise were ready to make their play, Bertie was back in power replete with the 400,00-plus we now know he was given

circa '92-'94. Thus with Bertie in place and a little help from Frank Fahey, a schoolteacher with a multi-million euro property portfolio, the

stage was set for the ongoing nightmare we're suffering today. By the way, in explanation for Labour/FG inactivity, it's accepted practice

for oil companies to buy the opposition at the same time as the sitting Government, so they would have been told which way to look a

long time before they were in power. Sad but true.

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Higgins to draw Norwegian attention to ongoing crisis in Erris

Comments (11 of 11)