Coribb protesters hurt our economic progress

IT is certainly regrettable that members of An Garda Síochána should have made such degrading and threatening remarks to the two female protesters who were arrested while interfering with the development of the Corrib gas pipeline.

The incident has been well documented with Superintendent Gearoid Begley of Tuam carrying out a fact-finding mission.

Kieran McGann, the head of the Association of Garda Superintendents, described it as an isolated incident and that it was not indicative of An Garda Síochána.

It is all very well for the two female protesters to have the country’s sympathy as a result of the alleged outrageous remarks made by members of the State’s custodians of law and order, but with the country enduring its worse economic recession in peaceful times it is the protesters who are the true villains.

The Corrib pipeline has been passed by all government agencies and the revenue to the State from the Corrib gas field will benefit every Irish citizen.

The State could earn as much as €245 billion from oil and gas revenues, wiping out our indebtedness and ending the recession.

Seismic studies and reports from the Irish Offshore Operators Association estimate that our beleaguered nation could earn between €136 billion to €245 billion in taxes from oil and gas exploration.

Now is the time to deal more severely with activists and protesters interfering with our economic progress.

If nothing is done will Ireland ever be “a nation once again” free from our mountainous burden of debt?

Michael O’Connell

Passage West

Co Cork