€1,600 billion. That is the figure for Irish Oil & Gas reserves already licensed revealed last Tuesday morning (Sept 11th) in a detailed report from Shell to Sea using the energy corporations own reports and estimates. People in Ireland will see almost no benefits from this incredible wealth because the Irish state gives these reserves to the corporations at the cheapest terms in the world.

In these links, some from ShellToSea and some from Indymedia, one can get an idea of the scale of scandal that lies before us, the deep level of corruption, consequences and how we are all suffering now from the financial crisis -caused by a slightly different form of corruption from much the same layer in Irish society and yet we are being robbed not just of our resources, but the very fabric of our society is being torn apart (health, educational, social & civic) , national sovereignty given away, and our taxes increase to pay for the gambles and speculation of the bankers, developers and bondholders -i.e the elite.
Related Links: ShellToSea First find the oil, and then raise the taxes | Our oil and gas might as well be off the coast of Brazil for all the good it will do us | News release: Devastating report exposes State's mismanagement of oil & gas resources | News release: New evidence of Shell's covert surveillance emerges | News Release: Rabbitte's betrayal further exposed by Providence's 1.6 bn barrel oil find | Drillers to earn €53bn from Irish oil find | Norwegian Fisherman warns of destruction of seismic survey
Indymedia: Resource Wars: a feature of the 21st century? -shows how the resource theft is a global phenomena | One Gas Well to Secure Ireland's Energy Supply!!! | Business as usual for Gardaí – trying to smear women in ‘rape tape’ controversy - perfect illustration of how the corruption from the whole resource issue permeates into human rights abuses. | Review of the Corrib Gas Project Oral Hearing | Farmers group wants Ireland to follow Iceland and burn the bondholders | Mandate To Default On The Unjust Bank Debt That Is Sinking Our Economy - just like the resource theft, we've been fooled again by being landed with the banking bailout bill | Press Statement: “Wealthy Elite will still have political power after election,” says 1% Network -demonstrates nothing changes. | Shell to Sea distribute 1000's of 540 billion notes | The Unfolding Crisis and Ireland's Economic Ruin -Our descent into the financial black hole. | Students Occupy Department Of Finance -See how the govt brutally attacks our young people because they have to make cuts to save the bankers & speculators losses.
Fracking is the next diaster! Poland and Fracking - Lessons to be Learned - Ban Fracking In EU | Fracking in the Lough Allen & Clare Basins | Renowned Investigative Journalist Greg Palast Talks about Fracking in Enniskillen, Carrick on Shannon and Dublin -link to video of full talk.

Shell has been trying to get a tunnel boring machine into place in Rossport. This feature will serve as a jump off point for information on the progress of the operation and the efforts of Shell to sea protesters. It will be updated with links to new posts on the subject as they come in. Please make your way down to rossport if you can.
UPDATED 14 DECEMBER!

Related Links (most recent first )
Belmullet District Court Report - Shell and Mayo County Council stand co-accused of obstructing the public highway. | Shell's Tunnel Boring Machine parts delayed by lock-on | August 2012: a week of blocking shell | Shell To Sea Dublin demo , Monday 6th August @ 1pm | 150 Gardai to move TBM 5km; Mayo County Council begin cover-up | Shell and Gardaí invade to rescue TBM | Day Three in the TBM House | Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) update - you couldnt make it up... | Shell humbled as protestors disrupt arrival of the Tunnel Boring Machine | Tunnel Boring Machine arrived at Dublin docks, travelling to Rossport soon | No To Foreshore Licence In Mayo | Shell to sea website

"Is there a safe way to frack? Probably: but not profitably; and
certainly not within the geology of a little emerald isle. "
- Greg Palast, investigative Journalist

Related Links: Poland and Fracking - Lessons to be Learned - Ban Fracking In EU | Counties and Townlands in the Fracking Zones - Are You Living in a Facking Zone? Find Out Here. | Response to the article 'Frank Convery, Yvonne Scannell, Fracking and Local Credibility in Ireland' | Fracking Ireland - Business Group Accept €20,000 From Tamboran | Local Fracking Talk Brings Revelations | Open letter to the members of the 31st Dáil Éireann. Hydraulic Shale Gas Fracturing - Tamborans claims - Chemicals involved in the fracking procedure

On the 20th of April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oilrig blew out in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven men instantly, then destroying 600 miles of coastline.On 9 September 2010, a natural gas pipeline exploded in San Bruno, California, burning eight to death, one of several recent pipeline explosions in the USA. In 1992, in Chicago, a gas pipe leaked and 18 houses exploded, incinerating three people. What do these deaths have to do with plans for “fracking” for natural gas in Ireland? Everything. It was my job to investigate these three explosions, the Deepwater Horizon and California explosions as a reporter for the UK news show Dispatches, the earliest as a US government investigator. In all three cases, the deaths were preceded by the same reassurances about the safety of drilling and piping that I read now in the debate about fracking in Ireland. First, the Deepwater Horizon. Eleven men died when the 'mud' – drilling cement meant to cap the wellhead – failed and methane gas blew out the top of the pipes and exploded. The Shannon Basin is not the Gulf of Mexico, but your safety will be just as dependent on Halliburton’s mud.

The seventh annual Rossport Solidarity Camp gathering is taking place in Erris, Co. Mayo from the 1st-4th June. You are invited to take part in workshops/discussions, skillshares, music and fun!

Come up to Mayo this June bank holiday!

Related Links: Rossport solidarity camp website | Shell to sea website | Rabbite's rush to give away our exploration rights could cost us bilions | conservative Oireachtas committee finds that state should double tax take on gas and oil finds Threats of eviction for rossport camp. | shell admits funding niger delta warlords | Police amassing at James Price Point

Presently we are being given a referendum on the 'Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union', ( the Fiscal Compact Treaty), this treaty lays out the 'conditions' of receiving a bailout from the European Stabilty Mechanism, which so far we are not being given a referendum on. These 3 aspects are inextricably intertwined, with the ESM being the mechanism, the article 136 TEFU amendment the instrument being used to enable the ESM to have a legal basis, while the fiscal compact treaty sets out the conditions for accessing finance through the ESM.

There are in fact 3 different aspects, only the last of which we are allowed a say on:
1. The article 136 TFEU amendment to the treaties.

2. The ESM treaty
3. The Fiscal Compact Treaty.

External Links: Fiscal Treaty will copper fasten austerity, make even emergency public expenditure impossible, and worsen poverty | Fiscal Treaty Files: The Fiscal Treaty is Unsafe, Uncertain and Unnecessary | Democracy instead of the Fiscal Treaty! | Do you know what the fiscal compact treaty is all about? | Fiscal Treaty Referendum Poll Result | Fiscal Treaty Files: The Fiscal Treaty is Unsafe, Uncertain and Unnecessary | Generating an Improved Debate on the Fiscal Treaty | Austerity Treaty flies in the face of 1916 Proclamation – Ó Caoláin | Why this really is an Austerity Treaty | EU summit adopts Fiscal Pact for European-wide austerity
Indymedia Links: People's Movment: Ireland has better options | Thomas Pringle Q&A: ESM Constitutional Challenge | Important Background & Analysis on SCG ("Fiscal Compact") Treaty, for Dáil Debate on Irish Referendum (Wed., Thurs., Fri.) | Irish Constitutional challenge to ESM | The Recession, Bank Bailout or our Deficit? | Mandate To Default On The Unjust Bank Debt That Is Sinking Our Economy
Events: EU Permanent Austerity Treaty - why you should vote NO!
Document: The Fiscal Treaty
No Campaign Websites: http://www.nofiscaltreaty.net/ - Fight back and vote No! | http://no-fiscal-treaty.org/ | http://voteno.ie/ - Vote No to the EU Austerity Treaty | http://www.FarmersForNo.eu - Farmers For No