Higgins to draw Norwegian attention to ongoing crisis in Erris

national | environment | press release Wednesday April 09, 2008 18:00 by mdh - Labour

The Labour Party President and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Michael D Higgins TD, is in Norway, as part of a broad-based community delegation including members of Kilcommon parish in Erris.

Also in the group are Rossport Five members Philip McGrath, Willie Corduff (winner of the 2007 Goldman Prize) and his wife Mary, and musician Vincent McGrat, and local farmer PJ Moran and fisherman Patrick O'Donnell, as well as Caitlin Ui Seighin, wife of Micheal O'Seighin, who previously visited Norway while her husband was in jail in 2005 for
opposing the Corrib gas scheme, and Galway Green Party Cllr Niall O'Brolchain, and Mayo Councillor Noel Campbell of Sinn Fein.

Deputy Higgins said: “I am pleased to have the opportunity to travel to Oslo. The reason for this trip is to make public in Norway the concerns and worries surrounding the controversial Corrib gas saga. The Norwegian people, and their policy makers, are stakeholders in the project through their interest in Statoil. The delegation will be arguing that, by their involvement in the Corrib gas project, Statoil has departed from the standards that they would ordinarily apply in Norway.

“While in Norway we will meet, in the Norwegian Parliament, the Norwegian Centre Party's spokespersons on Environment and Energy and on Foreign Affairs. We will also hold meetings with various Norwegian NGOs such as Attac Norway and the Norwegian NGO forum. We hope also to be in a position to have a meetings with representatives of Statoil.

“The Corrib gas conflict urgently needs resolution. Our delegation hopes that Norwegian political and civic society representatives will play their part in ensuring that Statoil develops a Corrib gas project that has the support and consent of the people of the Erris community.”