Legal action by Shell that led to the jailing of five people objecting to a pipeline in Co Mayo, should be challenged, the Green Party said today, after it emerged the company may have carried out works without permission.
Party energy spokesperson Eamon Ryan also called on the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey to answer "vital questions" on the Corrib gas pipeline.
Shell issued a statement yesterday after receiving a letter from Mr Dempsey in which he told the company to respond to concerns about the nature of the work being carried out. The statement acknowledged "there may have been a technical breach of the consent ... [the company] regrets this if it proves to be the case".
Shell sought the enforcement of a committal order for four residents and a protester last month after they prevented engineers from carrying out work in contravention of a court a High Court injunction obtained by the company. The five men have been in Cloverhill jail since and Mr Ryan said today their continued detention must be open to challenge in light of the company's acknowledgement.
Mr Ryan said: "When requesting an injunction a company or body needs itself to have 'clean hands' and be operating fully within the law. But as it now seems that Shell did not in fact have consent for recent work carried out, we would now expect its legal actions against Rossport residents to be subject to legal challenge"
He also called for the Dáil Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to meet next week to discuss the developments and interview officials from Shell and the Department.
Mr Ryan said: "It is clear that the Department has serious questions to answer concerning its own failure to ensure that conditions stipulated as part of its first initial consent to Shell were properly observed."
It also needs to explain what appears to be the obstructionist and secretive manner in which it has dealt with issues raised by local residents in Rossport."