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Press Release: Shell to Sea Spokesperson Jailed for €300 fine as Millions roll in for Corrib Gas

[Shell to Sea]  Maura Harrington has now been released. She appreciates the solidarity shown and sends her best wishes.

New Release - Issued by Shell to Sea - May 7th 2016 - For immediate release

Maura Harrington jailed as Vermillion earn $17million from first three months of Corrib Gas



Shell to Sea campaigner Maura Harrington was arrested in Belmullet on Friday afternoon and  jailed for 10 days in Mountjoy prison for the non-payment of a court fine of E300.
It is thought that the jailing relates to a 2012 protest attempting to block construction of the disputed development.
 
Ms. Harrington has continuously opposed the Corrib gas project due to health and safety concerns, environmental damage and the giveaway of Ireland's natural resources to private corporations. [1]
 
The jailing comes on the same day as Vermillion Energy - who owns an 18.5% share in Corrib gas - released sales figures of $17million from Corrib from the first three months of 2016. [2] At this rate the Corrib partners - Shell, Statoil and Vermillion - stand to make sales of $7.35billion from Corrib over a 20 year field lifespan. [3]

It is widely accepted that no or minimal tax will be paid by the developers of the Corrib Gas Project to the Irish state. Former Managing Director of the Corrib Gas project, Brian O’Cathain previously stated in 2010 “That Corrib will never pay tax”.[4] While a Vermilion investor profile estimated it would be 7 years before any tax is paid. [5]
 

Terence Conway of Shell to Sea stated: "The hypocrisy of this is evident - Maura goes to jail to for protecting our environment and resources while the multinationals are invited in to plunder."

He continued: "We are calling on yet another government to take back our natural resources that have been willfully given away by corrupt politicians and to ensure that no community has to suffer what we have for the past 15 years."

Mr Conway also repeated the numerous calls for independent inquiries into Corrib, including that by UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Margaret Sekaggya. [6]

Separately, speaking on on Thursday night to a packed RDS in Dublin, Canadian author and activist Naomi Klein said Shell to Sea had "inspired people around the world". [7]
 

ENDS

http://www.shelltosea.com
http://www.facebook.com/shelltosea
http://twitter.com/#!/ShellToSea

Links

[1] Shell to Sea aims
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/campaign-aims

[2] "Millions roll in for Corrib Gas as production set to ramp up" Irish Independent" 07/05/2016
http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/millions-roll-in-for-corrib-gas-as-production-set-to-ramp-up-34692035.html
 

[3] Estimate based on projecting Vermillion's sales figures.
$91.9m would be the total sales for the first three months including the Statoil and Shell share. Multiply by 4 to get one years sales = $368million. Multiply by 20 years = $7.35billion
[4] Corrib 'will never pay tax', says project's former MD – News Release – Dublin Shell to Sea
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/news-release-corrib-will-never-pay-tax-says-projects-former-md

[5] Vermilion Investor Profile - Seeking Alpha
http://seekingalpha.com/article/3754506-vermilion-energy-still-solid-and-diversified-but-corrib-is-in-court-again
 

[6] United Nations, General Assembly, Human Rights Council 26/2/2013
[7] William Hederman facebook post