The now former Minister Pat Carey, who lost his seat in Friday's General Election announced on Monday that he was granting permission to an application received 10 months earlier from Shell E&P Ireland Limited (SEPIL), acting on behalf of their Corrib Gas Partners.
The move has attracted considerable criticism, with Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins saying it was "outrageous and grotesque" that a government whose credibility has been "shattered".
"This is an attempt to complete the total sell-out by Fianna Fáil to the multinationals. Mr Carey is putting the final stamp on this monumental and shameful sell-out."
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Mr Carey also approved a change to the plan of development for the Corrib gas field. Former marine minister Frank Fahey signed the original plan before the 2002 general election.
There are a number of conditions to the approval including the necessity for winning approval of an addendum to the Plan of Development for the Corrib gas field development.
An Bord Pleanála approved the final section of the controversial pipeline last month, which runs from the sea to the Corrib gas processing station at Bellanaboy, Co Mayo.
In the planning decision, the Board stated that the development “would help safeguard the energy security of the State, would benefit the Western Region of Ireland, would not seriously injure the amenities of the area."
However, the Shell to Sea pressure group maintains that those claims are false and that the contents of the gas fields are worth some €600 billion to Ireland, and should not be given away to Shell.
"As it currently stands Ireland has no control over how oil & gas found on Irish land and waters is used. Even with the world-wide recession, oil prices have risen steadily for the last 2 years. Despite this the Government seem intent on giving away control of these resources. In 2011, the Government hope to open up over ¼ million square kilometres to the oil companies for exploration," a Shell to Sea spokesman said.
(DW)
