State got rotten deal on gas field

SEVERAL journalists and politicians have referred to Sinn Féin having “jumped on the bandwagon” in its support for the five men jailed for protesting over the proposed Corrib gas pipeline.

I suspect this is as much to damage the widespread campaign in support of the men as it is an attack on Sinn Féin, but nonetheless it requires a factual response.

Far from jumping on any bandwagon, I and my party have raised concerns over the Corrib gas pipeline for several years.

I have placed dozens of Dáil questions in relation to all aspects of the project right back to September 2002, when I was first elected to Leinster House.

Prior to that my colleague Caoimghin Ó Caoláin also raised the issue.

We specifically requested during the debate on the Flood tribunal that Ray Burke’s role in facilitating the scandalous giveaway of our natural resources be investigated.

Sinn Féin has not been the only party to do so.

In December 2002, Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party, Eamonn Ryan of the Greens, Independent TD Gerry Cowley, and I, took part in a press conference to highlight all of the issues that are currently in the public domain.

It is regrettable that, with a few honourable exceptions, almost no attention was paid to what many of us have long regarded as a national scandal.

Sinn Féin is fully supportive of the jailed protesters and is part of a broad-based campaign that involves the families of the Rossport Five, the local community there, environmentalists, anti-globalisation activists, socialists, anarchists and many people who are simply outraged at what lies behind the protest.

We have no interest in it other than to highlight what is taking place and to expose the rotten deal that this state made with Shell and other exploration companies.

Martin Ferris,TD,

Dáil Eireann

Kildare Street

Dublin 2.