The Gas is Ours: yes we can!

Wednesday November 19, 2008 19:49

by Medusa - Galway Shell to Sea

Take back the Giveaway, meeting told.

A Shell to Sea meeting in Galway adopted a new initiative, a nationwide petition for the renegotiation of the State's terms of agreement with the oil & gas corporations. Photos T.D.

Tuesday night (Nov 18th) at the Imperial Hotel, Galway: a packed hall listened enthralled as the The Chief Pat O’Donnell, the Erris fisherman, told a story that was like an episode from an epic film of the seas as he described the standoff when he and his sons in their crab-boats challenged Shell’s enormous pipelayer “Solitaire.” This leviathan, or rather, this floating industrial installation, all girders and derricks and overhanging bridges, aided and abetted by the Gardaí in inflatables and the Navy in an ominous gunboat, was unable to do anything in Broadhaven Bay but glower. The Chief affirmed his legal right to position his boat above his crab-pots, his day-to-day livelihood, and denied the right of Shell’s technicians to move him off them. Once
the Gardaí realised that every time they arrested him his sons and his brothers would immediately take his place, they reluctantly backed away; and so did the “Solitaire.” Maura Harrington, spokesperson for Shell to Sea, laid out the story of Shell’s prolonged violations of the life of Erris; she appealed to the many young people in the audience to take example of those in America who shouted out “Change! Yes we can!” Galway Shell to Sea put a proposal to the meeting, that a renewed campaign should start out with a nationwide petition (see wording below). This was unanimously accepted. Michael McCaughan in the chair gently guided the momentum of the meeting so that in the end we felt that real change was truly possible. Terence Conway, also a Glenaboy spokesperson for Shell to Sea, gave away videos of the Rossport struggle – “Take one, talk about it, pass it on! Watching a video, you can learn more than at a thousand meetings.” Galway Shell to Sea is now truly awake and up and running, as we appeal for other groups to follow through with this campaign and the petition.

PETITION FOR RE-NEGOTIATION OF 1992 TERMS-OF-AGREEMENT BETWEEN GOVERNMENT & OIL COMPANIES
We, the undersigned, call upon our Government, as an urgent priority at this desperate time of recession, to renegotiate the deal done in 1992 with the companies prospecting for oil and gas on the Irish Continental Shelf. This deal effectively gave away the potential profits of the Corrib Gas Field, the Porcupine Basin and Rockall to the shareholders of Shell, Statoil and other energy and exploration companies rather than to the people of Ireland. We demand that the following principles (laid down by Minister Justin Keating, 1975) be revived as the basis of re-negotiation:
· The State, acting for the people as owners of the resources, should be paid for the resources.
· Companies engaging in offshore development on the Irish Continental Shelf should be subject to Irish taxation.
· Since the resources are public property, the State must have the right to participate in their exploitation.

We reject the "patriotic duty" to accept cutbacks on fundamentals of our society (e.g. health, education, social welfare & indigenous industries): we assert it is your patriotic duty to use our oil and gas for the benefit of the people of Ireland, so that the common good may be promoted and the dignity and freedom of the individual assured.

save preference

Comments (11 of 11)

yes we will

by lulu

Thu Nov 20, 2008 08:56

Thank you Shell to Sea, for your enduring courage, organisation and example. This matter concerns more than a little 'acceptable sleaze' (which people accept too readily from their elected representatives!!) - it's about the theft of the nation's resources from its own people, and contempt for the safety and human rights of those people, particularly those with the wit and heart to resist this rotten project.

Yes, we will sign too

by cable - Shell to Sea ~ Cambridge

Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:03

Please make the petition accessible asap; thanks. Good work from Galway meeting.

Petition

by Margaretta D'Arcy - Galway Shell to Sea

Fri Nov 21, 2008 12:38

We are trying to get the petition on-line so that it will be accessible to everyone to download or to pass it on via links, etc. Our hearts are stronger than our technology at the moment, so we would be grateful if there is anyone out there who could help us with information as to the most effective way of doing this. Anyone in the Galway area who would be free on Wednesday 26 Nov, at 8pm, would be welcome to come to a meeting at 10 St Bridget's Place Lower (near Woodquay, in the cul-de-sac behind Argos & Lidl); or email me at margaretta@iol.ie

Advertise the websites far and wide as the eye can wander

by Martina O' Malley

Fri Nov 21, 2008 16:04

Please make sure to get clear advertisements for websites :corribsos.com and mayogasinfo.com
on all paperwork, leaflets, car stickers, petitions and banners etc.

"..corruption thrives in secret places, and avoids public places.."

Love and Solidarity

Martina

where to?

by stupid question

Fri Nov 21, 2008 19:54

where can we send the signatures to? What address?

Impact?

by tfy&qa

Sat Nov 22, 2008 06:56

What kind of consequences would such a petition have, I mean in terms of results? And how many names are required to provoke a reaction? I believe that there are vast numbers of people who would be willing to sign their support.
Anyways, get them out and lets get goin.......

Margaretta D'Arcy (at Fri Nov 21, 2008 12:38 above)

by Patrick

Sat Nov 22, 2008 08:56

Your idea regarding an on-line petition seems really good to me, and you may wish to consider http://www.petitionspot.com web site as a possible answer to your request for information on how to go about starting up on on-line petition.

For a sample of how the www.petition.com site works, which relates to the Turoe Stone (County Galway), please see at http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/TuroeStone (which is referred to at http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84679 ).

Related link: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Turoe+Stone%2C+Sup...f&oq=

no to online petition!

Sat Nov 22, 2008 20:20

Surely not an on-line petition???
What is that going to achieve? Except to further exasperate people who already know what's going on and would sign in an instant anyway? Who ever gave a damn about on-line petitions except those that know about them? The reasons why are obvious.....
Depending on what physical results are possible, surely its better to get this out on the streets, with christmas shoppers and pissed off protesters, you want maximum opportunity to get people 'personally' involved......

let's face it

by b

Sat Nov 22, 2008 21:21

even a real world petition is a waste of time and resources

by Chrissie

Sat Nov 22, 2008 21:43

Online, offline, national & international, let people make their opinion known that SHell's & the Garda's violent tactics can't force through this dangerous, unwanted project.

Exactly

by Sara

Sun Nov 23, 2008 08:46

Hear ! Hear!

"Now your threshing" Chrissie.

Number of comments per page

Upcoming Events

New Events

Other Press

User Preferences

Feeds

Blog Feeds

Anti-Empire

The Saker

Public Inquiry

Human Rights in Ireland

The Gas is Ours: yes we can!

Comments (11 of 11)