Businessman says Shell tried to buy his support for Corrib gas project with offer to his adventure centre
A former Air Corps pilot who is now running an adventure centre in north Mayo says that Shell E&P Ireland tried to buy his support for the Corrib gas project with an offer of €15,000 last year.
Ciarán Ó Murchú of Coláiste Uisce in Elly Bay says that company officials assured him that no one would know that the money came from Shell if he accepted it.
He rejected the offer, but believes other businesses have had similar approaches by the company in a bid to "divide the community" and undermine those objecting to the onshore pipeline.
Shell E&P Ireland has denied Mr Ó Murchú's claim, which the former pilot and Army officer made at a press conference involving four TDs - Dr Jerry Cowley (Ind, Mayo), Séamus Healy (Ind, Tipperary North), Tony Gregory (Ind, Dublin Central) and Joe Higgins (Socialist Party, Dublin West) - at the Bellanaboy terminal site early yesterday morning.
Addressing 130 protesters flanked by gardaí, the four TDs called for the terminal work to be stopped, expressed support for processing gas at sea and said they would complain to the Garda Commissioner about being filmed by gardaí during the event.
It was "incredible" that an Irish Government could transform part of Mayo into an "occupied territory" by sending in police, Mr Higgins said.
Following the addresses by the TDs, Mr Ó Murchú described how three or four approaches and number of phone calls were made to him by two Shell officials.
"I was asked if I was doing some work at the centre, and I said I was building a climbing wall," he said. "I was asked how much it would cost and I said it would cost €15,000. I was told the company would pay for it and that materials could even be delivered in the middle of the night if it was a problem.
"I depend on local families to house students coming to the college," Mr Ó Murchú added, "so I was aware of the implications of accepting any such money and was also aware that the company wanted to win over both me and my staff." Coláiste Uisce employs nine full-time staff and up to 30 seasonal staff in the summer.
Shell E&P Ireland confirmed yesterday that "meetings have taken place between Ciarán Ó Murchú and community liaison staff from the Corrib gas project" in relation to his concerns over the outfall pipe from the terminal.
"At no point was a payment/ grant of €15,000 offered to Mr Ó Murchú for the building of a climbing wall at his adventure centre. The direct or indirect offer of payment as alleged by Mr Ó Murchú is totally at variance with Shell's business principles," the company said.
"The alleged payment is said to have been offered in November 2005; people will surely question why Mr Ó Murchú is only bringing this allegation into the public domain at this time."
Dempsey threats: Protest group condemns threats to Minister
The Shell to Sea campaign last night completely dissociated the protesters from reported threats against Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey
Dr Mark Garavan, of the Shell to Sea campaign, which is leading the protests against Shell's plans, said: "This is utterly deplorable, and we completely condemn it. This has nothing to do with us, or with the campaign. It would be absolutely ludicrous for anyone to suggest otherwise."
The phone calls, which his officials described as "death threats", were made against Mr Dempsey yesterday afternoon after he defended the deployment of gardaí in an RTÉ interview and criticised those opposing the project, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources said last night. Gardaí are investigating
Asked on RTÉ Radio's News at One to comment on a call by Mayo Fine Gael TD Michael Ring for Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to mediate, Mr Dempsey wondered what role he could play. RTÉ's Seán O'Rourke said: "Any man who can get Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley working together might have some prospect of getting Shell and the Rossport community."
The Minister replied: "In comparison to some of the people that I think we are dealing with here, those two are two very reasonable men." - Mark Hennessy
