The Mayo Independent TD, Dr Jerry Cowley, has called on opponents of the Corrib gas field to look carefully at the proposed new planning application for the terminal before objecting to it. Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent, reports.
"Given that north Mayo is one of the most deprived areas of the State, there is no point in a kneejerk reaction to a revised planning application by the Shell subsidiary, Enterprise Energy Ireland (EEI), for the terminal," he said.
However, a Siptu spokesman, Mr Padhraig Campbell, last night accused Dr Cowley of doing a volte-face on the planning issue.
"Dr Cowley had supported an offshore terminal which would have provided thousands of jobs and he now wants to add to environmental chaos with this new plan. No area should be jeopardised for corporate profit," Mr Campbell said.
"Dr Cowley should be demanding that Mayo gets the maximum benefit for that gas, instead of having a load of sludge and a few jobs to show for it."
The Independent TD acknowledged that he had originally been a critic of the €800 million gas field project, having pushed for an offshore terminal instead of the proposed land-based terminal which was rejected last April by An Bord Pleanála.
Dr Cowley had also called for a review of State tax terms and royalties in relation to exploration companies after Royal Dutch Shell took over EEI.
"However, the company has made it clear that an offshore terminal is not feasible, and so I think we need to look very carefully at this new plan, which will be subject to an environmental impact statement.
"And I think the Government can help by making sure that the people of Pollathomas get more than the €300,000 earmarked for them as compensation for the recent landslide."
The Shell subsidiary says that it has not made a final decision on reapplying for planning permission for the Corrib gas field terminal. However, EEI said yesterday it was hopeful that a revised planning application for a terminal at the Bellnaboy site could be lodged with Mayo County Council before the end of the year.
This will be subject to extensive site investigations and an agreement with Bord na Mona.
The project has been stalled since An Bord Pleanála turned down permission last April for the gas terminal, because of concerns over the risks in moving some 650,000 cubic metres of peat and overlaying it on a neighbouring blanket bog.
Shell's subsequent review of the project involved initiating negotiations with Bord na Mona to transfer peat to exhausted bog eight miles away at Srahmore. A Bord na Mona spokesman said yesterday that a legal agreement would be signed after some further exploratory work.
However, Dr Cowley said that he believed the peat should be transferred to Bellacorick, where the ESB power station is due to close next year with the loss of 170 full-time and 130 part-time jobs with ESB and Bord na Mona.
Ms Maura Harrington, spokeswoman for the Erris residents who had lodged the appeal with An Bord Pleanála, described the new plan as "environmental suicide". Transferred peat would be in the form of slurry which could pose a serious pollution risk, as had already been demonstrated in the landslide at Derrybrien in south Galway, she said.
Siptu's national offshore gas and oil committee also criticised the move and raised concerns about the level of pressure being put on politicians to approve the project and to rush through a proposed new critical infrastructures Bill which is designed to "fast-track" planning permission for certain projects.
Last month the Taoiseach confirmed in the Dáil that he had met Mr Tom Botts, managing director of Shell's European exploration company, EP Europe, on September 19th. Mr Ahern said the Shell executive wanted to know if the Government's proposed critical infrastructures Bill and its National Infrastructure Board would be in place in time to deal with a renewed application.
The Taoiseach said he had told the executive it was unlikely that the new Bill would be in place before next summer when it was hoped the company would begin work.
"I recommended they stay with the normal planning structure," Mr Ahern told the Dáil.