Shell lays-offs ‘are linked to pipeline protests’

SHELL claimed yesterday that the decision to lay off 35 workers was a due to the halting of work on the controversial Corrib gas pipeline.

The company met with contractors Allseas yesterday and following the meeting the lay-offs were announced. The jobs affected are with Allseas' sub-contractor, Tideway who is involved in work at the landfall site, near Rossport, for the Corrib Gas Project.

Shell Operations Manager Mark Carrigy said the company regretted the lay-offs and claimed it was a direct consequence of protests against the Corrib scheme.

"It is most disappointing that we are not in a position to carry out these important functions as part of the roll-out of the project," he said.

Shell also welcomed a court ruling refusing an application for a judicial review of An Bord Pleanala's decision to grant planning permission for the controversial Corrib gas terminal.

Following the ruling by Commercial Court Judge Fidelma Macken, Shell said the decision confirmed "the validity of the processes undertaken to date" on the project.

The court ruling came as the chairman of Shell Ireland, Andy Pyle, said that the company was continuing to investigate assertions by Marine Minister Noel Dempsey that Shell had broken consent in aspects of work on the gas pipeline.

He told Morning Ireland that the company would reply to the minister's claims in "the next day or two." He added that if it was found that consent had been broken it was very much regretted.

But Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said Shell's claim that their hands had been tied by the High Court relating to the situation regarding the five imprisoned men was "misleading and self-serving."

He said he wrote to Mr Pyle last week outlining a situation where the company could help the men to be released from jail. The letter referenced a previous case "where a person is committed to prison for civil as opposed to criminal contempt of court, the committal must last until either it is purged or until it is waived by the party for whose benefit the order was made."

Mr Rabitte and his party colleague Tommy Broughan TD also met Mr Dempsey yesterday to discuss the Rossport situation.

Meanwhile, councillors in Co Galway have called on Shell to move its controversial Corrib gas process operation off-shore.

The call came at a meeting of Galway County Council on Monday night and received unanimous backing.