Shell apologises for trauma inflicted on Rossport Five
Shell E&P Ireland managing director Andy Pyle, in a contrite acknowledgement of upheavals in the long-running dispute, apologised for the trauma inflicted on the Rossport Five, who spent 94 days in jail, and on their families.
“Mistakes have been made. We regret the part that we played in the jailing of the five men last summer. For the hurt that this caused the local community, I am sorry. We cannot change the past but we have learned from it,” he said.
Mr Pyle also confirmed that Shell would meet all recommendations laid out in a Government-backed report to allay fears over safety.
He said the company would adhere to all restrictions and limitations regarding the pumping of unprocessed gas to the refinery in north Mayo.
“The Corrib gas partners are fully committed to the project. However, we canonly succeed in partnership with the local community and I hope that we can allnow move forward together so that the full benefits of the project to Erris, toMayo and to Ireland can be realised.”
But insisting that the energy giant was fully committed to mediation, Mr Pyle said he believed that face-to-face dialogue was the only way forward.
He said he hoped the Advantica report would give a much-needed impetus to talks with industrial relations trouble-shooter Peter Cassells.
Shell noted that the Corrib project has the potential to deliver up to 60% of Ireland’s total gas needs, and insisted safety is always its first priority.
But Sinn Féin, which backed the Rossport Five campaign, said the Advantica report had been smothered in spin by Shell and the Government.
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, the party’s Dáil leader, said assessments of the safety of the pipeline were irrelevant because they did not address any of the real concerns of the people of North Mayo.
He said the reports would form the basis of a campaign to undermine opposition and to portray the Rossport objectors as unreasonable Luddites.
But Mr Ó Caoláin said: “I do not believe that this will work. It will not work for the simple reason that the majority of people in this country know when they are being sold a pup.”
He insisted that the people of Rossport would continue to have the support of many other communities throughout the country in their struggle against Shell.
