A parish priest in north west Mayo has raised concerns about Shell's
funding of National School activities, in light of the division that the
oil company has caused in the local community.
Speaking to his local Mayo News newspaper, Kilcommon - Erris
Parish priest Fr Michael Nallen said that he had not been aware that
Shell E&P Ireland was involved in the sponsorship of Mayo County
Council's water safety programme for schools until parents raised the
issue with him during the last week and after pictures and an article
about the programme’s success appeared in a local newspaper.
A spokesperson for Shell confirmed that the company has sponsored the
programme for the last three years and had clearly publicised this in
Shell’s December 2009 newsletter, which had been widely distributed
throughout the community.
However, Fr Nallen also confirmed that as a spiritual representative
in the community he was surprised that he had not been consulted by
independent mediator and former ICTU boss Peter Casell's before such
funding took place.
Fr Nallen has consistently expressed his concerns about the Corrib
gas project, telling a recent oral hearing that he was worried about the
effects that the pipeline would have on local schools.
This view is not universally supported in the area and there is a
significant local population that is supportive of the project.
Fr Nallen’s counterpart in the parish of Kilmore-Erris has gone on
record to express his support for the project, acknowledging the efforts
made by Shell to communicate with the local community and suggesting
that some of the fears being articulated about risks from the pipeline,
“have been grossly inflated by the sulphurous rhetoric of those who wish
to prevent the delivery of the gas on ideological grounds.”
SIC: CIN/IE