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January 2018

Policing Reform - A List of Don'ts

Shell to Sea has today made its submission on Policing Reform to the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.

To help in the quest on policing reform, Shell to Sea have come up with a list of don’ts, that if followed would improve policing in Ireland.

The Corrib Gas protests are the single largest source of Garda complaints that GSOC have had to deal with although no Garda has ever been held to account for their law-breaking and abuse of powers.

Among the List of don'ts are:

  • Don’t be surprised that after you promote violent Gardaí, that they use violence.
  • Don’t be surprised that after you promote Gardaí who have a tendency to lie, that they don’t tell you the truth.
  • Don’t allow Gardaí claiming to be suffering from PTSD, to continue policing the people they say caused the PTSD.
  • Don't hold people under water when policing on water.
  • Don’t waste alcohol breathalysers.  If you need to bump up the figures, use them on Gardaí going to police early morning protests.
  • Don't talk about raping protestors you have just arrested.
  • Don’t be telling the media you’re looking for fellows with balaclavas when they are right beside you.
  • Don’t be passing drink from private companies to the Gardaí on the Athlone by-pass.
  • Don’t be surprised that if you are sending signals to Gardaí that they have diplomatic immunity that they believe they can do what they want.
  • Don’t arrest people for fishing just because a company wants to lay some pipes while they are gone.
  • Don't use corporate facilities as processing and holding cells for protestors
  • Don’t allow Gardaí to be prosecuting campaigners one week and then join private companies that the campaigners were opposing the next week.

Royalty payments from Cork gas fields dwindle

By: 
Gordon Deegan and Geoff Percival - BreakingNews.ie

The State has received only around €104m in royalty payments from the operator of the Kinsale and Ballycotton gas fields off the coast of Cork since 1998, new figures show.

The figures, from the Department of Natural Resources, show the State last year received €700,000 in royalties from operator Petronas. The payments from the two fields have been at their lowest level over the past two years. In 2006, the State received €12.2m from the two fields. The Kinsale gas field was the country’s first ever commercial gas find discovered in 1973.

Posted Date: 
28 January 2018

State receives €104m from gas fields [Not Corrib though]

By: 
Gordon Deegan - Irish Independent

The State has received over €104m in royalty payments from the operator of the Kinsale and Ballycotton gas fields off the coast of Cork since 1998, new figures show.

According to new figures provided by the Junior Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Sean Kyne, the State last year got €700,000 in royalties from Kinsale and Ballycotton. The payments have been at their lowest level over the past two years in the figures provided to TD Catherine Murphy in a written Dáil reply covering the past two decades.

The payout of €700,000 last year followed a payout of €300,000 in 2016. The amount received last year is just a fraction of the €12.2m in royalties received from the two fields in 2006.

Minister Kyne said royalties are not payable in respect of production from the Seven Heads and Corrib gas fields. Last year, the new operator of the Corrib Gas Field, Vermilion, told investors that it does not expect any cash income taxes from profits on the project "for the foreseeable future".

Deputy Murphy said yesterday: "The Corrib licence was granted under an older licensing system. No royalties are payable, just corporation tax of 25pc less any allowances that the companies enjoy. That system was completely flawed and yet again we find that there are only marginal returns for taxpayers from new gas finds.

"It's important to remember that these are citizen-owned fields. Companies are here because we let them. We are effectively giving away our natural resources for very little return," she claimed.

Posted Date: 
28 January 2018

Crude Intention - An insiders explosive revelations in a book that may shake Shell

By: 
John Donovan - RoyalDutchShellPLC.com

Of particular concern to Shell, the author provides first-hand insight into Shell’s security and intelligence activities in Nigeria, Iraq, Iran, Ireland and other global hot spots and details how Shell worked with US, UK and Dutch Intelligence and military agencies to further their mutual agendas.  The author also discusses Shell’s secret communications with MEND militants in Nigeria through intermediaries. 

By John Donovan 

Posted Date: 
28 January 2018

Pride, Tinged With Sadness: An Interview From The Front.

By: 
Jamie Goldrick - Rabble

Above: Some photographs sent on from daily life at the front.

Posted Date: 
18 January 2018

Niall Harnett RIP

It's 5 years since the death of Shell to Sea campaigner Niall Harnett. He is dearly missed. RIP

Posted Date: 
18 January 2018

Possibly more gas near Corrib

By: 
Geoff Percival - Irish Examiner

British explorer Europa Oil and Gas has hinted at the potential for significant new discoveries near the Corrib gas field off Ireland’s north-west coast, writes Geoff Percival.

The company, which has an estimated near five billion barrels of oil across seven licences offshore Ireland, has estimated 2.5 trillion cubic feet of gas at its Slyne Basin exploration area, which lies adjacent to Corrib.

Shares in the company — which is actively seeking farm-out deals for its Irish assets — rose by nearly 7% on its latest news.

Posted Date: 
2 January 2018

Europa sees strong gas potential in Corrib area offshore Ireland

By: 
Offshore-Mag

DUBLIN, IrelandEuropa Oil & Gas (Holdings) has issued a progress report on its studies of licensing option (LO) 16/20 in the Slyne basin, offshore northwest Ireland.

The permit is adjacent to the producing Corrib gas field.

Posted Date: 
2 January 2018