The managing director of Enterprise Energy Ireland/Shell, Mr Andy Pyle, has agreed to meet with western-based 0ireachtas members later this week to discuss the company's plans for taking gas ashore from the Corrib gas field.
The meeting, this Thursday, was sought by Oireachtas members after An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission to the company to build a gas terminal at Bellanaboy, in north Mayo.
At this week's monthly meeting of Mayo County Council in Castlebar, standing orders were suspended to allow councillors to discuss what they termed as the "disastrous consequences of An Bord Pleanála's decision for Erris, for Mayo and for the country". Many councillors seriously questioned the authority of An Bord Pleanala in making decisions on planning matters of this scale. Castlebar Fianna Fáil councillor, Mr Al McDonnell, called for the abolition of the "so called independent authority".
"We do not want to be ruled by faceless people with a Dublin 4 mentality," Mr McDonnell argued. Mayo deputy, Ms Beverley Cooper-Flynn, is optimistic that Enterprise Energy Ireland /Shell could successfully reapply for planning permission at Bellanaboy or at another Mayo location and meet the concerns outlined by inspector Ball in his report on the planning application."The application was rejected only on the concerns of dealing with the excess peat on the site. I would be confident that the particular issue can satisfactorily be addressed, " Ms Cooper-Flynn said.Fine Gael councillor, Mr Gerry Coyle, told the meeting that Erris people are known as bog men. "If we can't deal with a few hundred tonne of bog in Erris - that's beyond me," he said.