Hundreds to protest at gas refinery site

Hundreds of people will gather at the site of the onshore Corrib gas refinery in Co Mayo today to support the community in objecting to the controversial construction.

The campaign group Shell To Sea said people from all over the country were attending the protest against the building of the refinery by oil giant Shell at Bellanaboy.

Tracey Ryan, from the Shell To Sea group, said: “What is happening in Mayo is that the needs of big business are being prioritised over the needs of a community. If it can happen here it can happen in any community.”

The campaigners said people were travelling to protest against the sell-out of the national resources to multinational companies such as Shell, Statoil and Marathon.

Another group member, Eve Campbell, claimed: “Only 27% of the refined gas is to be sold to Bord Gais at full market price. This leaves the rest to be sold to private customers in competition with Bord Gais but using the Bord Gais pipeline.”

Earlier this week, gardai investigated death threats made against Government Minister Noel Dempsey.

Two phone calls were made to the Natural Resources Department after a radio interview where the minister said Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley were more reasonable than those opposed to Shell’s Corrib gas project.

Shell To Sea said it totally condemned any threats labelling them a disgrace.

After violent scenes marked earlier protests, a number of peaceful demonstrations took place at the refinery site earlier this week.

Workers passed by without any interference as more than 100 Shell To Sea campaigners marched from a crossroads one and a half miles from the site to the main entrance.