Rossport residents Willie and Mary Corduff and Vincent McGrath, chairman of Pobal Chill Chomáin, travelled to Derry last Friday where they raised concerns about the Corrib gas project with senior politicians and local media.
The visit was facilitated by Joe Murray, co-ordinator of the human rights and justice group AFRI, and by Richard Moore, author and founder of the charity Children in Crossfire.
The group met with Mark Durkan, MP, MLA, and leader of the SDLP, and briefed him on the history of the Corrib gas project and brought him up to date on the present situation in Erris.
Mr Durkan gave an undertaking that he would bring the issues raised to the attention of Justice Minister Dermot Ahern, and that he would consider other ways of ventilating the concerns raised by the Rossport residents.
Later the group had an hour-long meeting in the Mayor’s office in the Guildhall with Councillor Gerry MacLochlainn, who was deputising for Mayor Paul Fleming. The councillor sought further information and promised to bring the matter to the attention of Martin McGuinness, Deputy First Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Reflecting on the visit Vincent McGrath said: “We should learn from the recent history of Northern Ireland that a solution cannot be imposed but must come about by consent and agreement. This is the position of Pobal Chill Chomáin. The Irish Government was proactive and creative in helping to resolve the conflict in Northern Ireland but appears to be in a state of paralysis within its own jurisdiction when it comes to dealing with Shell.”
