I don’t like Thursdays. How the student vote has been silenced. by John Geraghty
The Government’s decision to stage the General Election on a Thursday had been much promoted, yet little debated. An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern cites a relatively low turnout for the 2002 General Election, which was held on a Friday, as the reason for this proposed date. The Government’s argument in favor of a Thursday ballot centre’s around the theory that many living in Ireland’s cities leave their home county on Friday evenings for weekend breaks and other excursions. By ensuring that the wealthier members of society, who can afford a rural holiday home or frequent breaks, are able to vote has a knock on effect of disenfranchising a far larger group of voters, Irish students living outside of their constituency. There are thousands of students attending Universities in counties other than their own, indeed Maynooth has students from as far a field as Donegal and Cork. As we well know, the May 24th Election occurs straight in the middle of summer examinations, the most crucial part of the College year. If one is aspiring to excel at their studies, it may well come to a decision between their academic record and their right to democratic participation. It is simply not an option for students to sit an examination, travel to their home county and return for another exam.
By holding the election on the 24th of May the Government have ensured a low youth turnout, thus furthering the political apathy of students and proving that the youth of this country are cut out of the democratic and decision making processes. Some would say that students tend not to vote, I say that they should at least be given the chance.
For those more conspiratorially minded among you, this could be seen as an intentional ploy by Fianna Fáil, who have not exactly endeared themselves to the student populace. Historically speaking, students tend to be a more radical demographic, giving their support to the Labour and Green Parties. The Green party were indeed the only party to make some noise about this issue, probably because they thought it likely that they would pick up a high proportion of the student vote. Bertie Ahern visited Maynooth last Friday, stopping off at the Manor Mills shopping centre, but he failed to stop into the largest point of congregation in Maynooth, the University. Obviously Mr.Ahern was wary of a hostile reception from disgruntled students, in fact several groups were trying to locate the Taoiseach to question him on his support for the proposed M3 motorway beside the Tara-Skryne valley following the find of what is described as a ‘national monument’.
The reaction from various students Unions and organisations has hardly been exemplary. The NUIM students Union circulated an email to all students last week informing them how to place themselves on the electoral register and how to use a postal vote. There was no mention of the Thursday poll in the Union of Students of Ireland’s 2006/2007 report, making membership of the body even less desirable. The argument could be made that the announcement of the election came too close to exams to mount any resistance, but it is a lack of foresight on behalf of student leadership that made it difficult to counteract the ballot date. Bertie Ahern’s contention that a Thursday ballot would be favorable to him has been well known since early March. Even though the average student at this point has little time to protest, it is incumbent upon those elected to represent students full time to take action. Most that were elected by the students of Ireland were seemingly unconcerned or unaware of the severity of the situation.
If you think that a minority of students will be affected by Thursday voting, here are the departments with exams on the 24th of May, Ancient Classics, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, English, Geography, Mathematical Physics, Mathematics, Music and Sociology, totaling 17 exams in all. On Friday 25th of May there are another 17 exams, affecting 11 departments, many of whom had exams the previous day. This is a huge amount of students who will be unable to vote.
Fianna Fáil were not alone in this neglect of the student vote, both Fine Gael and, surprisingly, Labour (they tend to pick up a large amount of student votes) were remarkably silent. If they do not want student votes then they shall not receive them. I feel fortunate that I have no exam on the 24th and that I live in my own constituency.
Through an abortive combination of Government disregard and the inaction of student groups we have ourselves a mountain to climb without a leadership that exerts any control or will to break with the status quo and do more than simply send a letter or petition. With the weather so fine and the political blood up, why was there no call to arms in late March or early April? The answer is that there is no body to coordinate all of these students unions, the USI being largely an ineffective body. There is unity of students within College boundaries, but no further. Is t not the idea of a Union to draw all members with common aims together to petition with feet and action? It will be another five years or so before students will be given the choice to choose their Government again, will it be a different scenario next time around? Only if there is a shift in student politics away from business and towards united activism.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Union fail to send award winners to BICS
NUI Maynooth came close to being unrepresented at the biggest national society event this year, it was revealed to the Advocate. The BICS (Board of Irish College Societies) awards are held at the end of every academic year. This year they were hosted by NUI Galway. Every college in Ireland is given the chance to send their best in each category to the awards to compete on a national level. The members this year included Trinity College Dublin; Dublin City University; National University of Ireland Galway; Universtiy College Cork; Queens University Belfast; National College Ireland; Dublin Institute of Technology; Cork IT; IT Tralee; Dundalk IT; IT Tallaght; Mary Immaculate College Limerick; University College Limerick and National University of Ireland Maynooth. The awards, according to this years Chairperson of BICS Ríona Hughes (NUIG), are about “bringing colleges together to celebrate the contribution that societies make to their institutions”. The catagories are the same as here in Maynooth: Best Poster; Best Website; Best Fresher; Best New Society; Best Individual; Most Improved Society; Best Event and Best Society, each category divided between Large and Small colleges. In previous years, the winner of each category here in Maynooth went on to represent the college in these awards and had gained a great reputation for their extra-curriclur activities. This reputation had been mentioned throughout many of the speeches given at the NUIM Clubs and Socs awards, and was linked to being the cause of the huge rise in CAO applications by Student Activities Officer, Ian Russell among others.
This year the Student’s Union of Maynooth did not intend to send any representatives from NUI Maynooth to these prestigious awards. The President of the Best Society 2007, Leona Nally, was taken aside after recieving the award and told very discretely that the application had not been sent by the Union and so they were not able to go on to the National Awards. This applied for all the societies here in Maynooth and so there would be no representatives for the college at the awards. A committee member of the DramaSoc who is highly involved in intervarsity events through ISDA contacted the societies officer at NUI Galway at midnight on Tuesday to get him to “pull some strings”. No other winner of an award was able to make this call and so three members of the Drama Society were the only representatives for Maynooth this year, compared to the large crowds who showed up to support the likes of DCU and DIT etc.
The three Maynooth Students received a very warm welcome at BICS. They spent two hours of the bus journey to Galway on the phone to the webmaster Paul Killoran, who assisted them in filling out the application form. ‘Their story’ was told to the room by the Chief Adjuicator Brian Gormley after the dinner and the entire room gave a cheer of support. One of the representatives remarked “It’s just such a shame we couldn’t get this level of support from our own Union”. Another disgruntled union member told the Advocate that they felt “the amount of hard work and dedication that many members of the student body put into their societies has been belittled by the bad organisation of the Union resulting in them not being able to compete on a national level.”
“Maynooth has a great name nationwide for its extra-curricular activities. Having three Maynooth Students at the BICS awards this year was a shock to many of the other colleges as they are used to seeing a much higher level of representation of our college.” For such a small college, the size of our clubs and societies goes to show that the majority of students do get involved on some level, and many who do take their involvement very seriously. For these people, to have their opportunity to represent their college taken away is very disheartening and would certainly not encourage such dedication and enthusiasm in the future.
A complaint was brought up at Clubs and Socs council last week and Ian Russell explained to the room that the venue was booked for the Maynooth Clubs and Socs Awards before they were told of the date for BICS, and it was not possible to change the date. He apologised to the winners for this major mistake, which he accepted as being most definitely not the first this year. He claimed that the best he could do, was to promise there would be better systems in place to prevent such a disaster in the future.
This year the Student’s Union of Maynooth did not intend to send any representatives from NUI Maynooth to these prestigious awards. The President of the Best Society 2007, Leona Nally, was taken aside after recieving the award and told very discretely that the application had not been sent by the Union and so they were not able to go on to the National Awards. This applied for all the societies here in Maynooth and so there would be no representatives for the college at the awards. A committee member of the DramaSoc who is highly involved in intervarsity events through ISDA contacted the societies officer at NUI Galway at midnight on Tuesday to get him to “pull some strings”. No other winner of an award was able to make this call and so three members of the Drama Society were the only representatives for Maynooth this year, compared to the large crowds who showed up to support the likes of DCU and DIT etc.
The three Maynooth Students received a very warm welcome at BICS. They spent two hours of the bus journey to Galway on the phone to the webmaster Paul Killoran, who assisted them in filling out the application form. ‘Their story’ was told to the room by the Chief Adjuicator Brian Gormley after the dinner and the entire room gave a cheer of support. One of the representatives remarked “It’s just such a shame we couldn’t get this level of support from our own Union”. Another disgruntled union member told the Advocate that they felt “the amount of hard work and dedication that many members of the student body put into their societies has been belittled by the bad organisation of the Union resulting in them not being able to compete on a national level.”
“Maynooth has a great name nationwide for its extra-curricular activities. Having three Maynooth Students at the BICS awards this year was a shock to many of the other colleges as they are used to seeing a much higher level of representation of our college.” For such a small college, the size of our clubs and societies goes to show that the majority of students do get involved on some level, and many who do take their involvement very seriously. For these people, to have their opportunity to represent their college taken away is very disheartening and would certainly not encourage such dedication and enthusiasm in the future.
A complaint was brought up at Clubs and Socs council last week and Ian Russell explained to the room that the venue was booked for the Maynooth Clubs and Socs Awards before they were told of the date for BICS, and it was not possible to change the date. He apologised to the winners for this major mistake, which he accepted as being most definitely not the first this year. He claimed that the best he could do, was to promise there would be better systems in place to prevent such a disaster in the future.
Changes to Constitution overturned
by Margaret O'Reilly
The Students Union Constitution went to referendum during the recent student elections. The constitution was overturned under Article 15.1 of the document. Article 15.1 states that "All amendments to the constitution shall require a) At least ten days notice on University noticeboards
b) Notice at a minimum of one Union Council meeting of both the intention and form of the amendments.
c) Notification of the same to be conveyed in writing to the Guardianship of the Constitution."
The Constitution details the aims and objectives of the Students Union in Maynooth and how these aims and objectives are to be achieved. The Union Executive Officer board, the structure of the Union Counci, membership of the Union and the rights and obligations of staff and members are also detailed in the document.
The Student Union Constitution was to become effective after 12:01 pm on the day following confirmation of the March 8th referendum and would supercede and revoke all previous constitutions of the Students Union. The fact that the referendum was overturned means that the voters were not properly informed of what was going to referendum. A copy of the proposed referendum has been made available on the Student Union website http://www.nuimsu.com but perhaps these results show that this was not enough. Perhaps copies of the drafted Constitution should have been made more readily available to students of the university so that the voters would be better informed on the day of the election.
If the student body had been more aware of what they were voting for, perhaps the outcome would have been different. These results show taht a copy of the constitution posted on the website obviously isn't enough to inform the body of students of the constitution and what it contains.
The Students Union Constitution went to referendum during the recent student elections. The constitution was overturned under Article 15.1 of the document. Article 15.1 states that "All amendments to the constitution shall require a) At least ten days notice on University noticeboards
b) Notice at a minimum of one Union Council meeting of both the intention and form of the amendments.
c) Notification of the same to be conveyed in writing to the Guardianship of the Constitution."
The Constitution details the aims and objectives of the Students Union in Maynooth and how these aims and objectives are to be achieved. The Union Executive Officer board, the structure of the Union Counci, membership of the Union and the rights and obligations of staff and members are also detailed in the document.
The Student Union Constitution was to become effective after 12:01 pm on the day following confirmation of the March 8th referendum and would supercede and revoke all previous constitutions of the Students Union. The fact that the referendum was overturned means that the voters were not properly informed of what was going to referendum. A copy of the proposed referendum has been made available on the Student Union website http://www.nuimsu.com but perhaps these results show that this was not enough. Perhaps copies of the drafted Constitution should have been made more readily available to students of the university so that the voters would be better informed on the day of the election.
If the student body had been more aware of what they were voting for, perhaps the outcome would have been different. These results show taht a copy of the constitution posted on the website obviously isn't enough to inform the body of students of the constitution and what it contains.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Seminarian accused of destroying GLB posters
Terence Callaghan
It has emerged that on the 6th of December last, a seminarian from St. Pats was found tearing down a poster for an event of the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual society. The incident was first reported to Declan Doody, Co-President of the GLB and St. Pats post-grad student. He was approached by a student that recognised Doody as one of the GLB Presidents. She informed Doody that she had earlier witnessed a person she personally knew to be a seminarian, taking down posters that were advertising the GLB Christmas party that was due to be held the following week. She told Doody that when she approached him to question his actions he responded with by saying that “they don’t belong in Maynooth, as St. Pats owns the land” and added that they were, “offensive”, “belittled [his] faith” and “wrong”.
Doody then went to the SU offices, where he lodged a complaint with SU Finance Officer Oisin O'Reilly which was passed on to SU President Amanda O’Hara. After discussing the complaint with Mr.O’Reilly it was decided that the job of writing an official letter would be left to the GLB. The decision was made due to the fact that the society felt so strongly on the issue. However, due to the Christmas break and exams, the e-mail informing the GLB of the decision was not received until early February. Amanda has said that she awaits the response from Monsignor Dermot Farrell (president of Maynooth College). If the response is not satisfactory, then the SU will step in and take appropriate action. As of the time of this paper going to print, the letter was being drafted by GLB co-presidents Max McLaughlin-Callan and Declan Doody. As of yet, no official response has been issued by St. Pats.
This event has had a demoralising effect on the GLB, because time, effort and money put into organising and advertising events on campus is going to waste on a regular basis. Mr. Doody revealed that the society does not advertise on the south campus, as posters were being removed within a day or two of them being put up. He also commented that posters regularly carry graffiti with phrases such as “Fag” and “Fanny basher”. On this particular incident Doody said of St. Pats “It’s offensive and depressing to know that there is a group of people that don’t consider you as their equal”.
This is, of course, not the first run in St. Pats and the GLB society has had.
Indeed up until 1997 St. Pats blocked the society’s official ratification, which only came with the Universities Act of the same year and the separation of Maynooth College and NUIM.
Monsignor Farrell's office were asked if they would like to comment on the incident. They did not reply to the Advocate.
It has emerged that on the 6th of December last, a seminarian from St. Pats was found tearing down a poster for an event of the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual society. The incident was first reported to Declan Doody, Co-President of the GLB and St. Pats post-grad student. He was approached by a student that recognised Doody as one of the GLB Presidents. She informed Doody that she had earlier witnessed a person she personally knew to be a seminarian, taking down posters that were advertising the GLB Christmas party that was due to be held the following week. She told Doody that when she approached him to question his actions he responded with by saying that “they don’t belong in Maynooth, as St. Pats owns the land” and added that they were, “offensive”, “belittled [his] faith” and “wrong”.
Doody then went to the SU offices, where he lodged a complaint with SU Finance Officer Oisin O'Reilly which was passed on to SU President Amanda O’Hara. After discussing the complaint with Mr.O’Reilly it was decided that the job of writing an official letter would be left to the GLB. The decision was made due to the fact that the society felt so strongly on the issue. However, due to the Christmas break and exams, the e-mail informing the GLB of the decision was not received until early February. Amanda has said that she awaits the response from Monsignor Dermot Farrell (president of Maynooth College). If the response is not satisfactory, then the SU will step in and take appropriate action. As of the time of this paper going to print, the letter was being drafted by GLB co-presidents Max McLaughlin-Callan and Declan Doody. As of yet, no official response has been issued by St. Pats.
This event has had a demoralising effect on the GLB, because time, effort and money put into organising and advertising events on campus is going to waste on a regular basis. Mr. Doody revealed that the society does not advertise on the south campus, as posters were being removed within a day or two of them being put up. He also commented that posters regularly carry graffiti with phrases such as “Fag” and “Fanny basher”. On this particular incident Doody said of St. Pats “It’s offensive and depressing to know that there is a group of people that don’t consider you as their equal”.
This is, of course, not the first run in St. Pats and the GLB society has had.
Indeed up until 1997 St. Pats blocked the society’s official ratification, which only came with the Universities Act of the same year and the separation of Maynooth College and NUIM.
Monsignor Farrell's office were asked if they would like to comment on the incident. They did not reply to the Advocate.
Speaker tells of stirrings in Rossport
Leona Nally
We sit and watch protesters in groups, some lying on a road, some standing at the side. All there for the same reason. We watch the gardaí as they carry out their duties of picking people up off the road and throwing them over the side of a ditch, or dragging them to the side of the road by their legs. The jeeps arrive, and the real fun begins. As protesters stand in front of the jeeps, Gardaí push them out of the way. We hear a sound that can best be described as 'clunk' and are told that it is the noise of a protester being hit over the head with a loudspeaker by a garda. We see a man lying in a ditch with another man standing over him demanding that a Garda call an ambulance. The speaker, Mr John Monaghan, pauses the tape and tells us that a Bean Garda and a protester fell into the ditch, the Gardaí helped her out but left the protester screaming in pain. He was complaining of back pain a tingling in his legs. According to Mr. Monaghan it was 45 minutes before the ambulance was called. He then continues the tape. The ambulance arrives and we see them trying to help the injured protester. The ambulance leaves because it is unsafe, we are told by the speaker. We then watch as the Gardaí form a barricade. A Sergeant calls out over the speakers "This is your last opportunity before I deploy force" "second warning before I deploy force" "final warning before I deploy force". As a barricade of protesters faces a barricade of police, the latter produce batons and stride forward. Most of the Gardaí are simply shoving and pushing the protesters out of the way, with a few seen to be prodding and poking with batons. We see very clearly a face who John Monaghan tells us is Sgt. Conor O Reilly, a member of the special branch. This is the face of the man who trains the Gardaí in Templemore how to deal with crowd control. We see him whipping the legs of the protesters with a baton which Monaghan tells us is a telescopic baton, something which is illegal in this country. This video was recorded on the last day of action, the 10th of November 2006. The official statement from the Gardaí is that there was no Garda presence that day.
John Monaghan, a local resident in the Rossport area, tells us that it's not every day that the batons come out, but protests are every week day, and there has been some level of abuse since the 3rd of October 2006 when the Gardaí made their first appearance on the scene. The Gardaí are acting like 'school-yard bullies', according to Monaghan, their response to the arguments of the protesters is simply 'Garda action'. They could be arrested for willful obstruction, and the failure to comply, but there is no judicial process happening. They are just receiving brutality, Monaghan tells us. And yet their campaign is far away from Garda brutality, it is against the 'project'. This project which is between Shell and the Irish government is a sign of the state failing to protect it's citizens.
One of the 40 interested listeners asked what were the five originally jailed for? Monaghan tells us that the original plan was to have the pipeline 9 miles from the coast. People were arrested for opposing this. The men kept pushing An Bord Pleanála for information on what was actually happening and Shell called for an injunction. The decision fell on the High Court Judge, who granted the injunction while admitting he wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. They were arrested for breaching a temporary injunction, and Shell still refuse to produce documents proving they have the right to do the work.
Has anyone taken a brutality plaint against the guards? According to Monaghan, a few have done so, but it has made very little difference. They have been told an ombudsman is being put in place, and so many of the protesters are waiting for this move before bothering to complain. Some of the Gardaí show clearly that they do not wish to be there, standing with tears in their eyes. "I'd say about half don't want to be there. The other half is split into a group who don't really care, and a group that want to kick the shit out of people. But it's important to remember that they are not the enemy, the project is"
What are the immediate concerns of the campaign?
There are two major current issues: to stop the Corrib Gas Project as natural resources are being stolen; and they don't want this project going through communities. Shell to sea want it moved offshore, or at least on the shoreline. "If we manage to claim the gas back, it's a bonus", Monaghan tells us. A Bord Pleanála inspector wrote a report, and in his conclusion said that Ballinaboy was the wrong site. There would be a serious amount of environmental impact. The planned pipe lies in the catchment area for Corinmore lake, which is the drinking supply for 10, 000 people. This would be a major concern, along with other issues such as hole venting, general flaring and immediate deterioration of air quality. Waste is being deposited in a nearby bay, effecting fish and dolphins, potentially destroying what was a significantly clean area for marine.
Are there any plans to use the general election, put politicians under pressure, etc? "For sure, we have our high profile 'pet TD', Joe Crowley who has supported Shell to Sea", Monaghan replies. "They're stealing our natural resources, so it is a national issue, but our focus at the moment is local."
Is there anything happening in Dublin?
Yes, the 24th of February there will be a march in Dublin, but at the moment they're focusing on the 16th of February, where there will be a Day of Solidarity in Ballinaboy. "Marching is all well and good, but how many people marched in anti-war? They give two fingers to the UN and go ahead with it anyway. We need action on the ground. If making your disapproval known is all we do, they'll do what they want. Judicial proceedings take years, and Shell have billions to spend on lawyers. Democracy is failing. Private companies taking over your land for their profit purely, not the state as before, is a totally new thing. What will happen next? These are very dangerous times, do we accept this, or do we reject it? This is the first time a compulsory acquisition order has been given to a private company, and by mistake. Signing over peoples land to a private company is against the law. and They knew, so they changed the law."
Under what conditions has the compulsory acquisition order been given?
"Under IFA compulsory rates, which has some conditions. You still own the land, and they are given use of about 40m of fields, so about half of your land. They would pay you €35 per metre, so some farmers would be making about 900-1000. What they're not told, is that if you don't give permission, they go ahead and use it anyway. They tell you they'll build a road, and a pipe. Eventually they'll take the road away, but the land will probably be reeds afterwards, which is what they don't tell you. They also don't tell you that if the pipe explodes, it's your responsibility. The gas pipeline also has adjoining pipelines carrying hydraulic fluid, cleansing acids, and a waste pipe. There will also be electric cables. This is a high pressure pipeline, 345 bar pressure for the gas, 610 bar pressure for the acids and hydraulic fluid. It is untreated, that is, odourless, without the added smell for detecting leaks. This is not the normal run of the mill gas pipeline. In Kinsale the gas is refined at sea, piped ashore at a much lower pressure and odorised. The biggest Bord Gais pipelines, in the so-called Transmission network, bringing the gas cross-country or overseas, run at 16 – 70 bar pressure. This development is so unprecedented the relevant legislation and regulations assumes its non-existence, that is, it applies to off shore upstream pipelines and to on land ones of around the levels of pressure used by Bord Gáis. The large pressure is necessary as the pipeline is actually pumping the gas straight out of the field, normally this process takes place completely at sea. This pipeline will pass by peoples' houses and by villages. It is being built through a bog where there have been landslides."
What's going to happen to the gas once it has been piped?
The plan is to pipe it and put it into the national grid, and sell it to whomever needs it. Shell and the state argue that "we're increasing all your gas", and yet there'll be no gas for mayo. By law it is illegal to distribute gas to Mayo, Sligo and Donegal because it is not economically viable. Shell are obligated to their shareholders to sell it to the highest bidder. The government are legally prevented from telling Shell what to do with the gas, they can sell it on to the UK if they want. "Shell want to get it to the market as fast as possible, and we all know who the market are", Monaghan tells us. "We have to put up with the pollution and the risk of responsibility, with no benefits."
How far has the project come?
"They say they have 60% of the work done. They may have 60% of the planing done, they may have 60% of the politicians bribed, but they don't have the pipeline built or the refinery built. Now is the time to get in their way. If we ignore it, it'll go away, at least for a while, but we all suffer. I don't want to tel my daughter "we tried our best, but we walked away". I intend to win this now. We can do this. This is the time to stop them. With your help, we can stop them."
Day of Solidarity: 16th of February, bring along musical instruments!
Dublin March: 24th of February
check out www.corribsos.com for more information
We sit and watch protesters in groups, some lying on a road, some standing at the side. All there for the same reason. We watch the gardaí as they carry out their duties of picking people up off the road and throwing them over the side of a ditch, or dragging them to the side of the road by their legs. The jeeps arrive, and the real fun begins. As protesters stand in front of the jeeps, Gardaí push them out of the way. We hear a sound that can best be described as 'clunk' and are told that it is the noise of a protester being hit over the head with a loudspeaker by a garda. We see a man lying in a ditch with another man standing over him demanding that a Garda call an ambulance. The speaker, Mr John Monaghan, pauses the tape and tells us that a Bean Garda and a protester fell into the ditch, the Gardaí helped her out but left the protester screaming in pain. He was complaining of back pain a tingling in his legs. According to Mr. Monaghan it was 45 minutes before the ambulance was called. He then continues the tape. The ambulance arrives and we see them trying to help the injured protester. The ambulance leaves because it is unsafe, we are told by the speaker. We then watch as the Gardaí form a barricade. A Sergeant calls out over the speakers "This is your last opportunity before I deploy force" "second warning before I deploy force" "final warning before I deploy force". As a barricade of protesters faces a barricade of police, the latter produce batons and stride forward. Most of the Gardaí are simply shoving and pushing the protesters out of the way, with a few seen to be prodding and poking with batons. We see very clearly a face who John Monaghan tells us is Sgt. Conor O Reilly, a member of the special branch. This is the face of the man who trains the Gardaí in Templemore how to deal with crowd control. We see him whipping the legs of the protesters with a baton which Monaghan tells us is a telescopic baton, something which is illegal in this country. This video was recorded on the last day of action, the 10th of November 2006. The official statement from the Gardaí is that there was no Garda presence that day.
John Monaghan, a local resident in the Rossport area, tells us that it's not every day that the batons come out, but protests are every week day, and there has been some level of abuse since the 3rd of October 2006 when the Gardaí made their first appearance on the scene. The Gardaí are acting like 'school-yard bullies', according to Monaghan, their response to the arguments of the protesters is simply 'Garda action'. They could be arrested for willful obstruction, and the failure to comply, but there is no judicial process happening. They are just receiving brutality, Monaghan tells us. And yet their campaign is far away from Garda brutality, it is against the 'project'. This project which is between Shell and the Irish government is a sign of the state failing to protect it's citizens.
One of the 40 interested listeners asked what were the five originally jailed for? Monaghan tells us that the original plan was to have the pipeline 9 miles from the coast. People were arrested for opposing this. The men kept pushing An Bord Pleanála for information on what was actually happening and Shell called for an injunction. The decision fell on the High Court Judge, who granted the injunction while admitting he wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. They were arrested for breaching a temporary injunction, and Shell still refuse to produce documents proving they have the right to do the work.
Has anyone taken a brutality plaint against the guards? According to Monaghan, a few have done so, but it has made very little difference. They have been told an ombudsman is being put in place, and so many of the protesters are waiting for this move before bothering to complain. Some of the Gardaí show clearly that they do not wish to be there, standing with tears in their eyes. "I'd say about half don't want to be there. The other half is split into a group who don't really care, and a group that want to kick the shit out of people. But it's important to remember that they are not the enemy, the project is"
What are the immediate concerns of the campaign?
There are two major current issues: to stop the Corrib Gas Project as natural resources are being stolen; and they don't want this project going through communities. Shell to sea want it moved offshore, or at least on the shoreline. "If we manage to claim the gas back, it's a bonus", Monaghan tells us. A Bord Pleanála inspector wrote a report, and in his conclusion said that Ballinaboy was the wrong site. There would be a serious amount of environmental impact. The planned pipe lies in the catchment area for Corinmore lake, which is the drinking supply for 10, 000 people. This would be a major concern, along with other issues such as hole venting, general flaring and immediate deterioration of air quality. Waste is being deposited in a nearby bay, effecting fish and dolphins, potentially destroying what was a significantly clean area for marine.
Are there any plans to use the general election, put politicians under pressure, etc? "For sure, we have our high profile 'pet TD', Joe Crowley who has supported Shell to Sea", Monaghan replies. "They're stealing our natural resources, so it is a national issue, but our focus at the moment is local."
Is there anything happening in Dublin?
Yes, the 24th of February there will be a march in Dublin, but at the moment they're focusing on the 16th of February, where there will be a Day of Solidarity in Ballinaboy. "Marching is all well and good, but how many people marched in anti-war? They give two fingers to the UN and go ahead with it anyway. We need action on the ground. If making your disapproval known is all we do, they'll do what they want. Judicial proceedings take years, and Shell have billions to spend on lawyers. Democracy is failing. Private companies taking over your land for their profit purely, not the state as before, is a totally new thing. What will happen next? These are very dangerous times, do we accept this, or do we reject it? This is the first time a compulsory acquisition order has been given to a private company, and by mistake. Signing over peoples land to a private company is against the law. and They knew, so they changed the law."
Under what conditions has the compulsory acquisition order been given?
"Under IFA compulsory rates, which has some conditions. You still own the land, and they are given use of about 40m of fields, so about half of your land. They would pay you €35 per metre, so some farmers would be making about 900-1000. What they're not told, is that if you don't give permission, they go ahead and use it anyway. They tell you they'll build a road, and a pipe. Eventually they'll take the road away, but the land will probably be reeds afterwards, which is what they don't tell you. They also don't tell you that if the pipe explodes, it's your responsibility. The gas pipeline also has adjoining pipelines carrying hydraulic fluid, cleansing acids, and a waste pipe. There will also be electric cables. This is a high pressure pipeline, 345 bar pressure for the gas, 610 bar pressure for the acids and hydraulic fluid. It is untreated, that is, odourless, without the added smell for detecting leaks. This is not the normal run of the mill gas pipeline. In Kinsale the gas is refined at sea, piped ashore at a much lower pressure and odorised. The biggest Bord Gais pipelines, in the so-called Transmission network, bringing the gas cross-country or overseas, run at 16 – 70 bar pressure. This development is so unprecedented the relevant legislation and regulations assumes its non-existence, that is, it applies to off shore upstream pipelines and to on land ones of around the levels of pressure used by Bord Gáis. The large pressure is necessary as the pipeline is actually pumping the gas straight out of the field, normally this process takes place completely at sea. This pipeline will pass by peoples' houses and by villages. It is being built through a bog where there have been landslides."
What's going to happen to the gas once it has been piped?
The plan is to pipe it and put it into the national grid, and sell it to whomever needs it. Shell and the state argue that "we're increasing all your gas", and yet there'll be no gas for mayo. By law it is illegal to distribute gas to Mayo, Sligo and Donegal because it is not economically viable. Shell are obligated to their shareholders to sell it to the highest bidder. The government are legally prevented from telling Shell what to do with the gas, they can sell it on to the UK if they want. "Shell want to get it to the market as fast as possible, and we all know who the market are", Monaghan tells us. "We have to put up with the pollution and the risk of responsibility, with no benefits."
How far has the project come?
"They say they have 60% of the work done. They may have 60% of the planing done, they may have 60% of the politicians bribed, but they don't have the pipeline built or the refinery built. Now is the time to get in their way. If we ignore it, it'll go away, at least for a while, but we all suffer. I don't want to tel my daughter "we tried our best, but we walked away". I intend to win this now. We can do this. This is the time to stop them. With your help, we can stop them."
Day of Solidarity: 16th of February, bring along musical instruments!
Dublin March: 24th of February
check out www.corribsos.com for more information
Foul play ruled out in death of Maynooth student
Dermot Tobin and Hazel Fahy
A garda officer has been appointed to investigate the death of Maynooth student Stephen Sheridan, who died on Wednesday the 7th February while in Garda custody. Gardaí received an emergency call on the morning of Tuesday the 6th from an apartment on Campus. Gardaí found two men in the apartment, one of whom was unconscious. The unconscious man was taken to Blanchardstown hospital. Meanwhile, the Gardaí acquired a search warrant on suspicion that illegal drugs might be involved. On searching the apartment, gardaí found a quantity of drugs, but the Garda Press Office have declined to say what type or, indeed, how much was found. The second man, who is not believed to be a student of the University, was subsequently arrested but later released pending instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. After discharging himself from hospital, Mr. Sheridan was arrested under section 74 of the Criminal Justice Act, misuse of drugs. He was arrested at his apartment and taken to Naas Garda station. After initial inquiries, gardaí suspended questioning until 12pm of the following day. Shortly before 5am, gardaí became concerned about his health and CPR was administered. An ambulance was called and Mr. Sheridan was pronounced dead at 6am at Naas General Hospital. The cause of Mr. Sheridan's death has still not been released to the public but an internal investigation led by a midlands garda super-intendant found no suspicious details in the man's death. Stephen Sheridan (29), Shandon Park, Phibsborough, North Dublin, was a second year Social Studies student undertaking a diploma in community and work. Head of the social studies department, Anastacia Crickley, described Mr. Sheridan as a good academic performer who had excelled in his first year examinations. She also said that students and staff alike in the close-knit department were very saddened and shocked by this untimely death. His class attended his funeral which was held on Monday. Jim Hughes, Vice President of NUI Maynooth, described the case as a great human tragedy and said that condolences had been extended to his family on behalf the University. He went on to say that University policy was very clear about illegal behaviour. He also wants to reassure students and parents alike that the University is adamant about maintaining its zero tolerance stance and will continue to monitor campus activities in conjunction with the Gardaí. A memorial service will be held in a months time.
A garda officer has been appointed to investigate the death of Maynooth student Stephen Sheridan, who died on Wednesday the 7th February while in Garda custody. Gardaí received an emergency call on the morning of Tuesday the 6th from an apartment on Campus. Gardaí found two men in the apartment, one of whom was unconscious. The unconscious man was taken to Blanchardstown hospital. Meanwhile, the Gardaí acquired a search warrant on suspicion that illegal drugs might be involved. On searching the apartment, gardaí found a quantity of drugs, but the Garda Press Office have declined to say what type or, indeed, how much was found. The second man, who is not believed to be a student of the University, was subsequently arrested but later released pending instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. After discharging himself from hospital, Mr. Sheridan was arrested under section 74 of the Criminal Justice Act, misuse of drugs. He was arrested at his apartment and taken to Naas Garda station. After initial inquiries, gardaí suspended questioning until 12pm of the following day. Shortly before 5am, gardaí became concerned about his health and CPR was administered. An ambulance was called and Mr. Sheridan was pronounced dead at 6am at Naas General Hospital. The cause of Mr. Sheridan's death has still not been released to the public but an internal investigation led by a midlands garda super-intendant found no suspicious details in the man's death. Stephen Sheridan (29), Shandon Park, Phibsborough, North Dublin, was a second year Social Studies student undertaking a diploma in community and work. Head of the social studies department, Anastacia Crickley, described Mr. Sheridan as a good academic performer who had excelled in his first year examinations. She also said that students and staff alike in the close-knit department were very saddened and shocked by this untimely death. His class attended his funeral which was held on Monday. Jim Hughes, Vice President of NUI Maynooth, described the case as a great human tragedy and said that condolences had been extended to his family on behalf the University. He went on to say that University policy was very clear about illegal behaviour. He also wants to reassure students and parents alike that the University is adamant about maintaining its zero tolerance stance and will continue to monitor campus activities in conjunction with the Gardaí. A memorial service will be held in a months time.
Swimming pool hours cut
Margaret O'Reilly
The swimming pool on the South Campus of Maynooth has been the cause of much debate this year amongst the students of the university. The opening hours of the swimming pool have been reduced this year by almost half. In previous years, the pool was open for thirty two hours per week, but this year, the hours have been reduced to twenty six hours a week. Thus, limiting the amount of time that students can use the pool by six hours. The Swimming Pool Development Officer Martin J McCann says that this is to facilitate a program of swimming lessons for children and adults. The money generated from this project is to go towards the increasing costs of running the swimming pool and also towards a new swimming program for the students. Mr McCann says that, although there is a reduction in hours, "there is a cleaner, warmer pool with better qualified staff. The overall benefit of lessons being available with higher standards is, in the longer term, a much better quality of service available to the student body." However the Students Union, who are paying €90 an hour so that students can avail of these services, feel that these hours are not enough. Student Union president Amanda O' Hara and Finance Officer Oisín O' Reilly have been discussing the issue with the bursar Mr Mike O' Malley and have so far managed to regain two hours but Vice President of the Students Union and Welfare Officer Sarah McEvoy feels that this is "unsatisfactory." She says that "the swimming pool is obviously a burning issue and has been since the beginning of the academic year. The loss of hours at the beginning of last semester was a serious blow to students with the hours cut by up to half. Since then, we have managed to regain two hours, but obviously this is unsatisfactory from the students' point of view. It is an issue that is amongst our top priorities in the Students Union and Amanda O' Hara and Oisín O' Reilly are dealing with it thus."
The swimming pool on the South Campus of Maynooth has been the cause of much debate this year amongst the students of the university. The opening hours of the swimming pool have been reduced this year by almost half. In previous years, the pool was open for thirty two hours per week, but this year, the hours have been reduced to twenty six hours a week. Thus, limiting the amount of time that students can use the pool by six hours. The Swimming Pool Development Officer Martin J McCann says that this is to facilitate a program of swimming lessons for children and adults. The money generated from this project is to go towards the increasing costs of running the swimming pool and also towards a new swimming program for the students. Mr McCann says that, although there is a reduction in hours, "there is a cleaner, warmer pool with better qualified staff. The overall benefit of lessons being available with higher standards is, in the longer term, a much better quality of service available to the student body." However the Students Union, who are paying €90 an hour so that students can avail of these services, feel that these hours are not enough. Student Union president Amanda O' Hara and Finance Officer Oisín O' Reilly have been discussing the issue with the bursar Mr Mike O' Malley and have so far managed to regain two hours but Vice President of the Students Union and Welfare Officer Sarah McEvoy feels that this is "unsatisfactory." She says that "the swimming pool is obviously a burning issue and has been since the beginning of the academic year. The loss of hours at the beginning of last semester was a serious blow to students with the hours cut by up to half. Since then, we have managed to regain two hours, but obviously this is unsatisfactory from the students' point of view. It is an issue that is amongst our top priorities in the Students Union and Amanda O' Hara and Oisín O' Reilly are dealing with it thus."
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