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Innovative funding methods revealed in Shell grant scheme

category mayo | environment | feature author Thursday March 27, 2008 22:28author by Hud Hastings Report this post to the editors

featured image

Shell recently announced the names of local groups in Erris who they are going to fund, as part of the deal they arrived with government appointed mediator Peter Cassels in 2006.

Cassells, who admitted that there was no basis for mediation while Shell insisted on an onshore production pipeline and refinery, recommended that the company should pay money into the local community in an effort to turn public opinion in favour of the scheme.

Of the groups favoured with grants, only a handful were from the local parish of Kilcommon, which would bear the brunt of the environmental disaster that Shell's scheme would entail. Of these, local people laughed at some of the more obviously silly and fictional "groups", but people were genuinely puzzled by the inclusion of the Dooncarton Landslide Committee. This group, which is widely respected in the local area, has been working to rebuild the local cemetery which was badly damaged in 2003, when heavy rains swept part of the hillside down into the bay.

Of all the people in Kilcommon, this committee know the danger of installing a natural gas production pipeline in such an unstable landscape. So how did Shell persuade the group to accept their cash?

Of course there is nothing on the grant form that says that you have to support Shell's scheme, but it would seem strange that a Committee which know well the impact of Shell's plans will have on the landscape should even consider giving the impression that the Corrib scheme is acceptable to them.

It seems that Shell got around the problem by simply making a deal with a local supporter, who chairs the committee, Gerry McDonnell. Rather than approaching the group as a whole, and going through any sort of procedure, Shell simply paid the cheque to this man, who accepted it without any discussion with anyone. He declared this week:
"This application for funding was not put to the committee because I knew there was no point”.
It seems he didn't even pay the money into the group's bank account, instead he says he has paid it to Mayo County Council's account so that they can pay the money towards repairs.

It is not clear if Mr McDonnell was paid a fee by Shell for this service, or if he simply did took the initiative to help the company for some other reason. Shell have offered cash to members of the public in the Kilcommon area in return for support, and the company was very happy to be able to claim that the Donncaron Landslide Committee taking their money.

In the light of the revelation that the funding was actually accepted by one individual, the company has said it will review the allocation of the grant.

Gerry Sheerin, treasure of the Committee, said he was sadly forced to resign when he heard the money was coming from Shell, who never offered any support for local people before they were forced to. He said "We’re not going to be used by Shell, who are manipulating voluntary groups to buy local support. This idea of funding for local groups only came when their backs were against the wall and we don’t want any part of it.”

Of the seven people who were on the committee, five have now resigned and the Dooncarton Landslide Committee has been wound up.

Connacht Telegraph Article here:

Landslide group on the rocks
Read the full article here (free with registration) www.con-telegraph.ie/
The Dooncarton Landslide Committee, set up in the aftermath of the devastating 2003 north Mayo landslide, is set to be dissolved amidst a storm of controversy.

It has emerged the majority of the committee have resigned over a €10,000 funding allocation from Shell E&P Ireland under its local grants scheme to erect safety barriers along a dangerous stretch of road overlooking the cliffs of Broadhaven Bay between the villages of Glengad and Seanbhaile.

The road from Pollatomish to Glengad, with the cemetery on the left
The road from Pollatomish to Glengad, with the cemetery on the left

 #   Title   Author   Date 
   Shell Money     observer    Thu Mar 27, 2008 09:23 
   Innovative funding methods by Shell revealed     Mary    Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:11 
   And ...     Maura Harrington    Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:20 
   No Comeback     Maura Harrington    Thu Mar 27, 2008 13:27 
   restoration work finished last year     IT Reader    Thu Mar 27, 2008 16:48 
   Lost battle     Shell PR    Thu Mar 27, 2008 19:54 
   Disbanded committees and farting cows     flybynight    Thu Mar 27, 2008 21:40 
   What is Peter Cassels job ?     Barry    Thu Mar 27, 2008 22:56 
   Peter Cassels     TMcG    Fri Mar 28, 2008 00:53 
 10   No pipeline route yet but still trying to bribe the people     Eamonn O'Coilea'in    Fri Mar 28, 2008 04:39 
 11   Consider     Shell    Fri Mar 28, 2008 08:08 
 12   russia and europe     lyncher    Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:00 
 13   shell drones     Shan Van    Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:46 
 14   Lowest form of wit     Fearbolg    Fri Mar 28, 2008 16:15 
 15   Why can 't you ever find a Troll when you need one?     Fearbolg    Sat Mar 29, 2008 00:36 
 16   Unfit to be on any committee     Ethel and Tom Corduff    Sat Mar 29, 2008 01:21 
 17   better     R    Sat Mar 29, 2008 01:36 
 18   fool     Gogarty    Sat Mar 29, 2008 08:19 
 19   Gogarty     W    Sat Mar 29, 2008 15:03 
 20   Doubt it     Gogarty    Sat Mar 29, 2008 15:56 
 21   Interesting reaction     Maura Harrington    Sun Mar 30, 2008 23:03 
 22   Ring?     UFO    Mon Mar 31, 2008 00:17 
 23   Paranoid     Gogarty    Mon Mar 31, 2008 08:58 
 24   The truth can't defame     Tadhg McGrath    Mon Mar 31, 2008 15:11 
 25   Address the issue     Maura Harrington    Mon Mar 31, 2008 20:26 
 26   So S2S     len    Wed Apr 02, 2008 13:38 
 27   Shell in the community     brennan    Wed Apr 02, 2008 14:11 
 28   Well     len    Thu Apr 03, 2008 13:46 
 29   Shell at their work     Kilcommon    Thu Apr 03, 2008 14:22 
 30   bribing the community     skillage    Thu Apr 03, 2008 22:23 
 31   He wanted barriers in front of his house     Eamonn O'Coilea'in    Fri Apr 04, 2008 04:11 
 32   'Dawn Raid' Irish-style     Maura Harrington    Fri Apr 04, 2008 23:01 
 33   Further moves     Maura Harrington    Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:33 
 34   why a dawn raid?     Chrissie    Sat Apr 05, 2008 15:26 
 35   What     what    Mon Apr 07, 2008 17:08 
 36   What it has to do with the topic :     Cryptic    Mon Apr 07, 2008 17:44 
 37   200 grand - bribing the community - not grand at all at all     Ray    Tue Apr 08, 2008 14:36 
 38   What     What    Thu Apr 10, 2008 16:31 
 39   foolish question     bored of the trolls    Thu Apr 10, 2008 19:55 


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