Corrib Gas Controversy - Opponents and Supporters

Opponents and Supporters

The Shell to Sea campaign, which is campaigning to have the gas processed at sea rather than inland, was created during the imprisonment of the Rossport Five in 2005. It is a very active group in the affected Kilcommon parish holding regular meetings and organising regular events. Shell to Sea also has many supporters outside of the immediately affected area from across County Mayo, across all of Ireland, along with several international Shell to Sea groups across the world. Shell to Sea have a website that is kept updated on a daily basis. They refuse to be participants in the North West Development Forum (known as the Corrib Gas Forum or known locally as the 'Funny Forum') at which Government Ministers, Royal Dutch Shell and Mayo County Council hold occasional meetings in a hotel in Belmullet to try to work out a solution to the Corrib Gas problem.

Pobal Chill Chomáin, a group of local residents who live in the affected area of Kilcommon parish, along with the barony of Erris, who are from both peninsulas of Sruwaddacon Bay also oppose the current plans for the project, due to concerns about the health, safety and environmental impact of the onshore aspects of the scheme and cite Shell's record in similar projects. ). They refuse to participate in the Corrib Gas Forum, (North West Development Forum) at which Government Ministers, Shell and Mayo County Council try to discuss the 'development' of the Corrib Gas.

Pobal Le Chéile is a local alliance of small and medium sized local business people mainly from the Erris region who also oppose the current plans for the project. They have refused to take Shell's money. They work closely with Pobal Chill Chomáin and have refused to participate in the Forum also.

The Pro Gas Mayo Group (PGMG) is a small pressure group based in County Mayo, Ireland and successor to the Pro Erris Gas Group. It considers the Shell to Sea campaign to be threatening employment in Mayo. It has three known members, Pádraig Cosgrove (from Bangor Erris), Harry Walsh (from Kilmaine, some 100 miles from the affected area) former non-party councillor on Mayo County Council, and Brendan Cafferty from Ballina (a former Garda). None of its known members reside in the affected community of Kilcommon Parish.

A poll conducted throughout the county by TNS/MRBI on behalf of RTÉ's Nuacht in September 2006 showed that 60% of respondents agreed the gas processing terminal should be located offshore, with 23% supporting Shell and the government's decision to build inland. The offshore alternative had strongest support amongst those aged under 49 years, and those residing in Castlebar/Ballinrobe/Claremorris and Westport/Belmullet areas."

Many environmental activists, particularly Shell to Sea and Maura Harrington, criticised Green Party politician Eamon Ryan for joining Fianna Fáil in coalition after the 2007 general election, as the terms of the programme for government did not include a reversal or renegotiation of the proposed gas pipline and refinery at Broadhaven Bay. Before being appointed as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Ryan visibly supported the aims of the Shell to Sea campaign and the Rossport Five, and also attended their protests. Ryan was also criticised by Shell to Sea for failing to launch an independent review of the decision, as stipulated by the Green Party in a motion passed at their annual convention in 2007, though the party's 2007 election manifesto did not contain such a commitment. The motion passed at the February 2007 annual conference in Galway said that "...the Green Party in government will not approve a production pipeline consent being signed as part of the Corrib gas project until the completion of a full independent review of the best development concept for the concept."