Patricia McKenna attacks government's 'corrupt' gas exploration deals

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday March 11, 2008 15:29 by Dublin Shell to Sea 085 8185888

Former MEP to speak at Shell to Sea public meeting in Dublin this Thursday

The giveaway of Ireland's natural gas is a far greater corruption than anything the Mahon Tribunal is likely to uncover, according to Patricia McKenna of the Green Party. The former MEP was also critical of her Green Party colleague, Minister Eamon Ryan. She is speaking at a public meeting in Dublin this Thursday, March 13th at 7pm at the ATGWU Hall in Middle Abbey St, organised by the Dublin Shell to Sea campaign. Other speakers include journalist Frank Connolly and Micheál Ó Seighin, one of the Rossport Five. Event notice: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/86541

Patricia McKenna: critical of Eamon Ryan over gas giveaway

"The media is currently obsessed with Bertie Ahern's personal finances, but they continue to ignore a corruption much bigger than anything the Mahon Tribunal could ever uncover, namely the fact that the Irish Government has conspired with the oil and gas multinationals to rob the Irish people of the proceeds of their own resources," McKenna said.

"Deals done by Ray Burke and other Fianna Fail ministers over the past 20 years have resulted in the giveaway of our natural gas and the attempted streamrolling through a small Mayo community of a highly destructive and dangerous refinery and pipeline," she said. "The gas in the Corrib field alone is estimated to be worth more than €50 billion, and more valuable offshore finds have been made since then."

"Any kind of resources that come from this island should benefit the citizens of the island rather than foreign multinationals. The government is failing to protect the interests of the Irish people and is instead protecting the interests of multinationals."

Cormac McMahon of Dublin Shell to Sea said: "Although Shell has begun building the gas refinery at Bellanaboy in Co Mayo, the company still has no route for the dangerous, high-pressure pipeline which would carry untreated, unodorised gas from the shore to the refinery. When they name their route, they will have to seek permission from local landowners. It's a recipe for disaster. The notion of community consent simply does not figure in Shell's equations."

In April 2007 Justice Mary Laffoy ruled in the High Court that the original pipeline route - through the farms of some of the Rossport Five - could not be used without landowners' consent, effectively making that route defunct.

Patricia McKenna was also critical of her Green Party colleague, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan. "The changes in exploration terms announced by Minister Eamon Ryan last October gave the impression that the situation was improving. However, the much-heralded change from 25 per cent to 40 per cent does not refer to the State's share in the gas: that is still zero per cent. It only refers to the tax on whatever profits the multinational declares after writing off all its costs. Secondly, the 40 per cent will only apply to very profitable fields. And thirdly, it does not apply retrospectively to Corrib or any of the other exploration licences already awarded."

"The very real threat of climate change means we should be moving away from fossil fuels, so rather than encouraging more and more gas and oil exploration which contributes to CO2 emissions, the government should be encouraging more use of renewable energy. While there has been a move in that direction, they are still clinging to the dependency on fossil fuels. The controversy over Corrib is an illustration of that contradiction."

The public meeting comes on the eve of the departure of several busloads of campaigners from around Ireland to London for a series of actions at Shell's global HQ on St Patrick's Day. These activists will hold a rally outside Leinster House at 5pm on Friday before departing for the UK.
Trip to London: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/86068

Last month (February 1st), Shell announced record annual global profits of €20 billion, which works out at €385 million per week. The cost of processing Corrib Gas at sea rather than inland has been estimated at €360 million.