éirígí Tir Chonaill

Damnaítear Faomhadh Pleanála na Coiribe

23/01/2011

(English version follows)

Fuair an rialtas agus An Bord Pleanála cáineadh géar ó Mhicheál Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig, ó éirígí Thír Chonaill. Tagann sé i ndiaidh don Bhord Pleanála faomhadh pleanála a thabhairt do Shell E&P Ireland don chuid deiridh de phíblíne gáis na Coiribe i gCondae Mhaigh Eo. Ba é an t-iarratas ar fhaomhadh pleanála an tríú ceann le deich mbliana anuas mar gur diúltaíodh don dá iarratas roimhe ar chúinsí sláinte agus sábháilteachta.

Mar chuid de shlí fhaofa na píblíne, a iompróidh gás ón gháscheantar amach ón chósta go dtí an críochfort gáis €1 billiún ag Gleann na nGad, beidh tollán 5km fo-uisce tríd Bhá pictiúrtha Shruth Fada Conn, Condae Maigh Eo. Ónar fuarthas an gáscheantar in 1996 bhí cur i gcoinne uafásach do Thionscnamh Ghás na Coiribe ó chónaitheoirí áitiúla a raibh imní orthu i dtaobh sláinte agus sábháilteachta agus ó ghníomhaithe timpeallachta in éadan an tionchair a bheadh ag an tionscnamh ar an cheantar áitiúil. Bhí cur i gcoinne freisin do chomhlachtaí príobháideacha ar nós Shell ag fáil ceadaithe ón rialtas chun acmhainní nádúrtha luachmhara a bhaint ó uiscí na hÉireann.

Ag caint faoi nuacht fhaomhadh an cheada pleanála do Shell E&P Ireland, dúirt an t-urlabhraí éirígí, “Is cúis náire amach is amach é gur thug an rialtas agus An Bord Pleanála an cead don phíblíne gáis seo. Is eiseamláir eile é don rialtas ag cur mhuintir na hÉireann faoi chois chun comhlachtaí móra ilnáisiúnta príobháideacha a shásamh. Tá géarchéim eacnamaíochta sa tír seo mar gheall ar an chineál seo iompair.

“Anseo i nDún na nGall tá dífhostaíocht ollmhór againn agus daoine ag cailleadh a dtithe mar gheall ar na blianta a raibh na daoine i dTeach Laighean uiríseal i láthair na gcomhlachtaí príobháideacha agus tarrtháil na mbanc a tharla dá bharr, a bhí de dhíth leis an chóras lofa sin a choinneáil ar uachtar,” arsa é.

“I mbliana beidh ar na deiche míle daoine dul ar an bhád bhán ag lorg oibre, mar aon leis na mílte ó Dhún na nGall atá imithe cheana féin, mar gheall ar mhíláimhseáil áiféiseach riaradh na tír seo ag scothaicme pholaitiúil shaibhir. Ach tá an chuma nár fhoghlaim an scothaicme sin faic. Thug siad an cead pleanála seo beag beann ar na daoine áitiúla i gCondae Mhaigh Eo ar neamhchead dá n-imní ná dá mianta díreach chun go dtig le Shell an acmhainn nádúrtha seo le luach na mbillún euro a phumpáil istír a í a dhíol do mhuintir na hÉireann ag praghas iomlán chun brabús a chruthú do chomhlacht eachtrannach phríobháideach agus dá scairshealbhóirí.

Agus é ag éileamh athrú polasaí maidir le hacmhainní nádúrtha na hÉireann, dúirt an tUasal Mac Giolla Easbuig, “Is le muintir na hÉireann na hacmhainní ar nós gáis agus ola a bhfuil ina luí i limistéar na hÉireann, bíodh siad ar talamh nó ar farraige. I dtréimhse ina bhfuil an tír i dtubaiste eacnamaíochta agus ina bhfuil an IMF agus ECB anois i gceannas ar chúrsaí, ba chóir don rialtas gás agus ola s’againn a náisiúnú, ag úsáid dea-chleachtas idirnáisiúnta, ar mhaithe le muintir na hÉireann agus gan í a thabhairt ar shiúl do leithéidí Shell. Ní mór do dhaoine agóid a dhéanamh faoin iompar seo ón rialtas nó leanfar lenár gcur fhaoi chois agus lenár n-úsáid chun tacar a chur le leas na scothaicme saibhre príobháidí.”

Corrib Planning Approval Condemned

The government and An Bord Pleanála has received scathing criticism from éirígí Tir Chonaill's Micheál Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig. It comes in the wake of the news that An Bord Pleanála have granted planning permission to Shell E&P Ireland for the final section of the Corrib gas pipeline in County Mayo. The application for the planning permission was the third in the last decade as the two previous applications had been refused on health and safety grounds.

The approved route of the pipeline, which will carry gas from the offshore gas field to the €1 billion gas terminal at Glengad, will include a 5km undersea tunnel through the picturesque Sruwaddacon Bay, County Mayo. Since the gas field was discovered in 1996 there has been massive opposition to the Corrib Gas Project from local residents who had health and safety concerns and from environmental campaigners against the impact the project would have on the local area. There has also been opposition to private companies such as Shell being granted permission by the government to extract the valuable natural resource from Irish waters.

Speaking of the news of the approval of planning permission to Shell E&P Ireland, the éirígí spokesperson said “It is an absolute disgrace that this permission has been granted by the government and An Bord Pleanála for this gas pipeline. It is another prime example of the government running roughshod over the people of Ireland to appease large private multi-national companies. This country is in economic crisis because of such behaviour.

“Here in Donegal we have massive unemployment and people losing their homes due to the result of years of kowtowing to private companies by those in Lenister House and the resulting bank bailout which has been required to keep that corrupt system afloat” he said. “This year tens of thousands of people will be forced to emigrate in search of work, like the thousands from Donegal who have already gone, because of ridiculous mishandling of the running of this country by a wealthy political elite. But yet that elite seem to have learnt nothing. They have granted this planning permission over the heads of the local people in County Mayo regardless of their concerns or wishes just so Shell can pump this natural resource worth billions of euro ashore and sell it to the Irish people at full price to make a profit for a private foreign company and its shareholders.”

Calling for a change in policy towards Ireland's natural resources, Mr Mac Giolla Easbuig added “The resources such as gas and oil which lie in Irish territory, whether on land or at sea, belong to the Irish people. In a time when this country is in such economic calamity and the IMF and ECB are now controlling our affairs, the government should be nationalising our oil and gas, using best international practise, for the benefit of the people and not giving it away to the likes of Shell. It is imperative that people protest against such behaviour from the government or we the ordinary people will continue to be walked on and used to shore up the interests of the private wealthy elite.”