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April 2014

News Release - Government Rejects UN Rapporteur's Recommendations on Corrib

By: 
Shell to Sea
News Release - Issued by Mayo Shell to Sea
April 30th, 2014 - For immediate release

In a submission to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Shell to Sea have criticised the Irish Government for rejecting recommendations made by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights regarding the policing of Corrib protest [1].

In a report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2013, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Margaret Sekaggya, called on the Irish Government to “Investigate all allegation and reports of intimidation, harassment and surveillance in the context of the Corrib Gas dispute in a prompt and impartial manner” [2].

Ms Sekaggya met with Shell to Sea, Table Observers and other concerned members of the community in November 2012

 
Ms Sekaggya's recommendations were echoed earlier this year by Archbishop Desmond Tutu who supported the call for an independent inquiry into the policing of Corrib [3].

However earlier this month Minister for Justice Alan Shatter rejected the recommendation saying “I do not see a necessity for an independent inquiry into the policing operation in north County Mayo.”[4]

 

Other relevant recommendations made by Rapporteur Sekeggya, including  allowing the Garda Ombudsman to do an “examination of the practices, policies and procedures of the police in the context of the Corrib Gas dispute” also have been ignored by the Irish Government.

Posted Date: 
30 April 2014

Shell to Sea Submission to the UPR Follow-up programme

By: 
Shell to Sea

To Whom it concerns,

Regarding the Follow-up programme on recommendations to the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights in Ireland, we would like to draw attention to the situation as regards policing in the area known as Erris in North West County Mayo on Ireland's western seaboard. This area has been the location of ongoing conflict between police and local communities as a result of a government decision to allow the development of a massive natural gas processing plant (the Corrib Gas Project) proceed in a populated and environmentally sensitive area. (See background overleaf for more details).

Policing activity in Erris has included surveillance, profiling, harassment, verbal abuse including threats of rape, physical assault, use of heavy machinery against unarmed citizens and the misapplication of public order legislation to attempt to break protests. Police tactics have been the subject of strong criticism from human rights observers ranging from the FrontLine Defenders, Global Community Monitor, AFRI and the TABLE observers. In November 2012 the UN Special Rapporteur Margaret Sekaggya visited the area to report on the situation of human rights defenders here in Erris. Unfortunately however none of the recommendations that relate to the Corrib Gas Project that Ms Sekaggya made on her mission to Ireland have been implemented.

Posted Date: 
30 April 2014

Lars Wagner remembered and Enda Kenny Criticised at Good Friday Walk.

By: 
Shell to Sea

During this year's Good Friday walk from Glengad to Aughoose, Shell to Sea activists highlighted the death of Lars Wagner, a worker killed in the Shell tunnel last September.

 

Posted Date: 
28 April 2014

Kildare Street: Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Departmental - Legal Costs

By: 
http://www.kildarestreet.com

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)

383. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the total legal costs incurred by his Department in 2011, 2012, 2013 and estimated in 2014. [17352/14]

 

Posted Date: 
25 April 2014

Justice for All

By: 
Gerry and Rosemary Bourke and Family

To All Our Friends in Shell to Sea

I feel that I can no longer stay silent and let others speak for me. Me, Gerry Bourke, my wife Rosemarie and our family intend to take court proceedings against the Irish government and its agents, Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil and Vermillion for breaches of our basic human rights. We intend this summer to set up a Camp for Justice in our field for everybody in this country who feels that injustice has been done to them by the government. We no longer feel that we can stand silently and let our home and farm and our way of life be taken away from us. If you feel as we do that this country belongs to the people and that all the resources of this country belong to people of this country, then come and stand with us.

Justice For All

Posted Date: 
20 April 2014

Polemic on Ireland’s oil delivers little despite a lot of boring

By: 
Colm Keena - Irish Times

Book indulges its writers too much, and requires the reader to plough through a wealth of unrelated and obscure, and very boring, material

Norway is the poster child for countries that have successfully managed the discovery of substantial oil reserves, and it is used in this book, and no doubt around the globe, as inspiration for what should be done in other jurisdictions.

Posted Date: 
20 April 2014

Judge removes himself after Corrib protesters object

By: 
Mayo News

A district court judge removed himself from hearing a case against two prominent protestors against the Corrib gas project after they objected to him hearing their case.
Eoin O Leidhin of Barrnacullen, Pullathomas and Terence Conway of Inver, Barnatra, were before Belmullet District Court on Wednesday last charged with trespassing causing fear in relation to an incident at Shell’s compound at Aughoose in June of last year.

Posted Date: 
16 April 2014

Calls continue for clarity about Corrib bugging in Belmullet

By: 
Áine Ryan - Mayo News

CALLS for An Garda Síochána to reveal whether telephone bugging was extended to Belmullet Garda Station due to the Corrib gas controversy have been repeated this week as the Cabinet today (Tuesday) prepares to discuss the terms of reference of the Commission of Inquiry, The Mayo News can reveal.

Posted Date: 
9 April 2014

Horrified by #The Pipe and our Private Property

By: 
Brian McCarthy

9_CommunityPower.previewWatching The Pipe last night http://vimeo.com/8668733  I was horrified on two counts, one being I somehow had missed this unbelievable documentary previously and the second its my opinion being familiar with the amount of corruption that does take place here in Ireland, it just never

Posted Date: 
5 April 2014