Shell E&P Ireland said today it was examining its legal options after five jailed Mayo men offered to purge their contempt in return for an injunction against them being lifted.
Micheál Ó Seighin, Willie Corduff, Brendan Philbin, Vincent McGrath and Philip McGrath were sent to Cloverhill Prison in June 29 thfor breaching a court order restraining them from blocking Shell's access to their lands in Rossport.
The men, who are opposed to the Corrib gas pipeline on health and safety grounds, refused to give an undertaking to the High Court that they would not interfere with work on the pipeline.
Two Co Mayo councillors, Cathaoirleach Henry Kenny, and Cllr Paddy McGuinness, held two hours of talks with them in the prison today.
Spokesman for the jailed men Dr Mark Garavan
Speaking afterwards, Cllr McGuinness said the men told them they would not compromise on safety and "we would not expect them to."
However, he said they reiterated their offer, initially made in an open letter from the jail last week, to purge their contempt and engage in dialogue with Shell if the injunction was lifted. "They are prepared to examine options that would increase the safety of the (upstream) pipeline," he said.
The company said last week it could not lift the injunction and the matter was between the courts and the men.
In a statement today, Shell said it "appreciates confirmation that the objectors would purge their contempt and enter into dialogue if the injunction were set aside".
It added: "While the legal impediments to the removal of the injunction remain, SEPIL is examining with its legal advisors what options, if any, are possible to overcome the current impasse."
Dr Mark Garavan, spokesman for the five men, said only way forward is for Shell to lift the injunction. "If they are prepared to listen to local concerns and reconfigure the project in the light of [safety] concerns then we have cause some hope."
Meanwhile, the Shell-to-Sea campaign group announced today that it is to organise a picket of Statoil service stations on Friday in a bid to pressurise the company to withdraw from the consortium behind the controversial Corrib gas pipeline.
The group has called on the public and trade unions to support the pickets at Statoil stations from 5pm to 7pm next Friday. They also intend marching on the Dáil on October 1st.
Tonight, Shell-to-Sea are holding a public meeting at the ATGWU Hall in Abbey Street, Dublin.
A spokesman from the Department of the Marine confirmed that the Minster, Noel Dempsey, had received an invitation to the meeting but will not be attending.