The five north Mayo men who are spending their seventh week in prison over their opposition to the Corrib gas onshore pipeline have offered to hold direct talks with Shell and the Government if the court injunction is lifted.
However, Shell has said it will not lift the court injunction, and has reiterated that it has "done everything possible" to create the "appropriate climate" for the five men to purge their contempt of court.
While Shell said it remained "committed to entering into dialogue with the men and their families at the earliest opportunity", the men's continued imprisonment was "a matter between them and the High Court" which Shell could not interfere with, it said.
The families of the five men confirmed last night that Shell had made no contact with them, although the company intends to engage shortly with "key stakeholders" in Mayo as part of a new public relations campaign.
In an open letter issued yesterday the five men - Willie Corduff, Philip and Vincent McGrath, Micheal Ó Seighin and Brendan Philbin - said that they were in prison indefinitely. Their "crime" was to refuse access to their lands, because of "the certainty that if this pipeline as currently proposed ruptures we, our families and neighbours, will die".
"Our imprisonment was only made possible by the granting of a compulsory order for our lands to Shell by Frank Fahey TD while minister for marine and natural resources," the men stated.
"Initially we were jubilant and excited for Mayo and the country when we heard of the Corrib gas find. When we learned that the route would traverse Rossport we became concerned, and as we looked closer and sought advice we became alarmed. As Irish citizens and mainly traditional second- and third-generation Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil voters we instinctively sought reassurance and support from State agencies and our local politicians and as farmers from the Irish Farmers' Association," they added.
"We were initially fobbed off, then ignored and finally marginalised. As our awareness of the lethal danger to our families grew, our concerns turned into resistance." The men added that they had been "shocked by the abandonment in our time of crisis by the Fine Gael leader and local TD Enda Kenny, who we now regard as irrelevant in this crisis as a leader".
The "national interest" referred to by Shell and the Minister for the Marine in relation to Corrib's importance is "a myth that has been fabricated by the Government and their partner Shell," the men stated, and the Minister and his department "have not been or never innocent bystanders in this crisis but have played a full role alongside Shell in its creation".
"Despite all of this we, in good faith, acknowledge the attempts of Shell and their Government partners to create a period of calm by halting all work on the project in north Mayo and their call for dialogue," the men stated.
"We wish to immediately accept this offer and enter into talks to resolve the impasse. To that end we ask Shell and their Government partners to immediately stand down their injunction at this time so that we can leave prison to attend these talks."
