Madam, - I am disgusted to hear (March 31st) that a Shell E&P Ireland spokeswoman has said that it has been awarded a foreshore licence by Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Mary Coughlan for "geotechnical ground investigations" in Sruwaddaccon Bay, Co Mayo, which are due to begin "shortly".
The spokeswoman said this licence covered the fact the area is an SAC and comes under the EU habitats directive.
Yet again our Government, in cahoots with Shell, rides roughshod over the general public, the Erris community and, seemingly, over the Minister for the Environment.
There has been no consultation and no environmental impact assessment - they just side-step Mr Gormley and get Mary Coughlan to award the licence without any discussion with the people who will be affected and without any regard for Special Areas of Conservation, which are internationally recognised as important wildlife habitats.
The attitude of Fianna Fáil is that we don't actually need a Minister for the Environment and we don't need to heed EU policies and directives - in fact, we should disregard communities and environment completely - anything Shell want to do is OK - "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" is clearly the order of the day!
Unless the Greens can put a stop to this blatant abuse of governmental power, I think maybe it's time for them to pull out of this Government and let "Bertie's team" hoist themselves by their own petard - Bertie himself is already doing his best in this regard. - Yours, etc,
BOB WILSON, Flagmount, Co Clare.