Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said that "the rule of law has to be implemented" and "the work goes on" at the Corrib gas terminal in north Mayo, where gardaí used batons yesterday to disperse protesters.
Mr Ahern, who was in Roscommon and Leitrim yesterday, told RTÉ that "obviously there are some people who will not accept a decision of the process" and "now it's a matter for enforcement".
However, two Mayo Fianna Fáil councillors expressed disappointment with the Taoiseach's comments, and called on the Government to "take responsibility" for the situation.
Cllr Tim Quinn (FF) said that he believed the Government should commission its own review of alternative sites to process the gas in Mayo, independently of Shell. Cllr Frank Chambers (FF) said that he could understand where the Taoiseach was coming from in terms of the State's legal obligations, but there was "an obligation on Government and on ourselves here to find a resolution".
"This is a most serious situation. I feel for the decent people of Erris who need to be cared for, rather than being batoned, and there has to be a solution that does not involve use of force," Cllr Chambers said.
Labour Party marine spokesman Tommy Broughan said that "face to face" talks were urgently needed, with the Shell to Sea proposal for a commission of inquiry used as a basis. He would be meeting Shell next week and also contacting counterparts in Norway, he said.
Two people were arrested and an estimated eight people, including four gardaí, were injured during the protests close to the terminal site and at several other locations early yesterday morning.
The "day of action", which has been described as the most violent since protests over the Corrib project began, involved more than 100 local people and an additional 80 to 100 supporters who travelled to Mayo to support the Shell to Sea campaign.
Shell E&P Ireland has said that "most of the aggression" at yesterday's protests was shown by "outsiders", and said its workers were intimidated and subjected to abuse. It said it still appealed to "anyone who has genuine concerns about the Corrib project to come and talk to us".
Shell to Sea spokesman Dr Mark Garavan said that the campaign was "very disappointed" that a middle ground solution, involving last Monday's compromise proposal for a commission of inquiry into the optimum site for the terminal, had been rejected so quickly by the Minister for the Marine and Shell.
The Garda has defended its members' handling of the situation, which involved "very restrained" force in a situation of "extremely violent resistance", according to Supt Joe Gannon. About 130 gardaí were on the ground yesterday, and the Garda public order unit was on "standby" but was not deployed, he said. However, the Shell to Sea campaign has said that gardaí used excessive force.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has expressed support for the actions of the gardaí, and said that a tiny minority of people were confronting the law and were "being supported in this by the Sinn Féin party". He told reporters in Dublin that "Provo tactics won't work".
Sinn Féin described Mr McDowell's comments as "scare tactics designed to deceive the public". Party spokesman Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, TD said that the campaign at Bellanaboy "is community-led and community-driven and has won widespread active support from people of all political parties and none".
"Mayo TD Dr Jerry Cowley (Ind) described Mr McDowell's comments as "disgraceful" and part of a "Shell spin". He also said he was "amazed to hear the Taoiseach doing a Pontius Pilate", and that "washing his hands of this will not resolve it".
Micheál Ó Seighín, one of the five Mayo men jailed for 94 days last year over opposition to the pipeline, said that Mr McDowell was acting as "recruiting agent" for Sinn Féin in making such comments.
He warned that someone would get killed if there was no Government commitment to a resolution.
