September 2012

A report by the Shell to Sea campaign group has claimed that taxpayers stand to lose out on 1.6 trillion in oil and gas profits. “Several international studies have found that the share of revenue Ireland receives is among the lowest in the world, less than half of that of comparable countries,” said the report, Liquid Assets, which has been compiled by Dublin Shell to Sea.

 - Campaigners highlight Robinson's silence on human rights in County Mayo -

Last night Enda Kenny met with Mary Robinson for an evening soiree in Ballina Arts Centre to launch her new book. The title of her memoir, ‘Everybody Matters’ was a ironic reminder of the silence maintained by Robinson on the human rights abuses associated with Shell’s Corrib Gas project. Since 2002 Shell have been operating less than 35 miles away from her home in Ballina and over that time human rights concerns have been documented by international human rights organisations including Frontline Defenders (“Breakdown of Trust: a Report on the Corrib Gas Dispute http://ww.frontlinedefenders.org/files/en/corrib_gas_re...t.pdf).

Campaigners from Shell to Sea and Rossport Solidarity Camp travelled to the launch to highlight Robinson’s continuing silence on human rights issues in her home county, but were refused entry to the Arts centre for the event by Gardaí. Ten campaigners held a picket outside the event holding placards which read, ‘What about human rights on your doorstep?’, ‘Mary Robinson – human rights N.I.M.B.Y’, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’, ‘Mary – what about human rights in Mayo?’, and ‘And you used to be so good!!’

[Shell to Sea] With a special human rights research facility maybe Mary Robinson will finally get around to learning or mentioning the human rights of people effected by Shell's Corrib Gas project. 

New centre to honour former Irish president: THE BIRTHPLACE in Ballina, Co Mayo, of former president and UN high commissioner for human rights Mary Robinson is to be transformed into a visitor centre and research facility in the fields of human rights and women’s leadership.