Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey hopes to nominate a mediator within the next week to initiate negotiations between Shell and Mayo landowners over the Corrib gas onshore pipeline.
Contact is expected to be made with both parties over the coming days in relation to an agreed nominee, following yesterday's release of the five men opposed to the pipeline from Cloverhill prison. However, the Minister told The Irish Times last night he believed the men should be given some breathing space and time with their families.
Bonfires are due to be lit in north Mayo tonight to welcome home the five - Micheál Ó Seighin, Willie Corduff, Brendan Philbin, Philip and Vincent McGrath - after 94 days in jail. The five are due to address this afternoon's Shell to Sea campaign rally in central Dublin, along with Dr Owens Wiwa, brother of executed Ogoni leader and Nigerian writer Ken Sara Wiwa, Ictu general secretary David Begg, Siptu president Jack O'Connor and Frank McBrearty jnr.
"Feet on the ground won it," one of the five, retired schoolteacher Micheál Ó Seighin (65), said yesterday after the court hearing. "It shows that Irish people expect a higher state of democracy, and they expect more of their Government in relation to people's safety and welfare."
Vincent McGrath, whose home is 70 metres from the proposed high-pressure pipeline, said that the five would return to prison all over again if they had to. The group had been forced into their position when no State agency took responsibility for the pipeline, he emphasised.
Shell E&P Ireland's chief executive Andy Pyle said he believed a compromise could be reached, and said he did not envisage anyone being imprisoned again - although the company is still pursuing a permanent injunction against six named landowners.
"We fully recognise the concerns of the objectors and the very difficult situation which the men and their families have been through," Mr Pyle said.
Discovery of documents for the permanent injunction is listed for the High Court on Tuesday, while the company must return to court on October 19th to explain a breach of its ministerial consents by sworn affidavit. The five men must return to court on October 25th to hear if punitive measures should be taken over their contempt of court.
Yesterday's breakthrough was welcomed by the Minister for the Marine, who said that his safety review is expected to be completed by mid-November. A two-day public hearing as part of this is being held in Mayo on October 12th and 13th.
Mayo TDs Dr Jerry Cowley (Ind) and Michael Ring (FG), who had publicly supported the men and their families, expressed delight at the men's release. Dr Cowley said that last week's visit to Norway by members of the men's families had played a significant role, as he believed Statoil, partner in the Corrib project, had put pressure on Shell. However, Shell has denied this.
Mr Ring said he hoped that Shell and the Government would "do more listening to the local people so that this very serious situation can now be resolved". Mr Ring's party leader and constituency colleague Enda Kenny said he was happy that Shell had taken on legal advice he had given it in relation to the temporary injunction.
Labour Party marine spokesman Tommy Broughan said the men had "done a service to this country", in that there was a need for much greater accountability and a public debate on how the State's natural resources were exploited, "and for whose ultimate benefit".
Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said that the Government had "sown the seeds" which led to the dispute, and had serious questions to answer in relation to planning permission for the project and granting a foreshore licence for the controversial pipeline.
