€11 million spent policing Shell to Sea protests

[Shell to Sea]

It's been reported that the gardaí have spent 11,000,000 euro on policing the protests against the Shell scheme to install a production pipeline and refinery in Kilcommon County Mayo.

The amount is more than half of what is being spent on fighting organised crime (€20M) and the Irish Independent newspaper reports that Garda sources are concerned that policing the protests is draining overtime budgets.http://www.independent.ie/national-news ... 45971.html

It has also been noted that the last time a figure for policing costs was received from the Dept of Justice was in May, when in response to a Sinn Féin Dáil question, the figure was €8.9 million (not 8.6 as reported by the Independent). According to the Justice Minister Dermot Ahern, that figure covered costs from September 2006 to April 30th 2008.
http://www.corribsos.com/index.php?id=1766

In October 2007 the figure was put at €8.1 million by then Justice Minister Brian Lenihan.

This implies that in the months between October 2007 and April 2008 the policing cost was 800,000 euro, while since April 30th this year the gardaí have managed to spend €2.1 million. No breakdown of the costs has been made available, and the recent figure was released to the Irish Independent without a question being asked of the Department of Justice.

In May this year the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission recommended that there should be a general review of the way public protests are policed, in the light of more than 70 complaints received about the Corrib protests. GSOC wrote to Minister for Justice proposing that it carry out an examination of management of crowd protests and civil disobedience. However, the minister turned down the proposal, as he “did not feel that it was appropriate at that time”.
http://www.corribsos.com/index.php?id=1774

The Corrib gas field is estimated to contain at least 1 TCF of natural gas, valued at approximately 16 billion dollars. All the gas in the field belongs to Shell and the other Corrib partners, and the contract stipulates that it will be sold at full market value. In a radio interview in July 2006, David Bunworth, head of Bord Gáis Energy Supply, spoke about the Corrib project. When he was asked, in the light of the gas being traded at international market price-
"So will it make any difference to the price Irish people pay for gas?"
'No it won't' -he replied.
(Five Seven Live, RTÉ radio One Friday 21st July 2006)

[goosebump]

It's been reported that the gardaí have spent 11,000,000 euro on policing the protests against the Shell scheme to install a production pipeline and refinery in Kilcommon County Mayo.

Yeah, thanks for that. There are 30 kids in my son's class and we're spending €11m trying to keep a bunch of aging English hippies off private property.

How many water cannon can you buy for €11m? One would probably be enough.

[Shell to Sea]

Yeah, thanks for that. There are 30 kids in my son's class and we're spending €11m trying to keep a bunch of aging English hippies off private property.

How many water cannon can you buy for €11m? One would probably be enough.

Are you seriously suggesting that the protesters are in control of the way the protests are policed?

[meriwether]

Yeah, thanks for that. There are 30 kids in my son's class and we're spending €11m trying to keep a bunch of aging English hippies off private property.

How many water cannon can you buy for €11m? One would probably be enough.

Are you seriously suggesting that the protesters are in control of the way the protests are policed?

Christ on a bike.

Do you see a linkage betwen your protest and the €11m bill?

[Shell to Sea]

Obviously the protests need to be policed, but €11 million seems too much for to watching over some local people armed with cups of tea, who seem to be able to avoid prosecution.

Can you explain what the Gardai are spending it on, and why they choose to spend such a huge amount on what is quite a small protest?

If the think the protest is bigger and more dangerous - can you explain the tiny number of arrests and prosecutions?

Where are the jails full of these dangerous violent eco warriors?

[goosebump]

Yeah, thanks for that. There are 30 kids in my son's class and we're spending €11m trying to keep a bunch of aging English hippies off private property.

How many water cannon can you buy for €11m? One would probably be enough.

Are you seriously suggesting that the protesters are in control of the way the protests are policed?

No. They are the cause of the Gardai presence.

The Gardai obviously need to mount a sufficient operation to act as a deterrent to the protesters. The fact that they are not being called into action on a daily basis is irrelevant.

It really is a measure of the extent to which you are disconnected from popular sentiment on this issue that you think publicising the policing bill is advancing your cause.

You also seem to be suggesting that that Garda Management are deliberately dragging members from all over the country to stand on a roadside in the middle of nowhere, for which they are paid a special rate, for no reason. What motive would they have to do this exactly?

[The Lighthouse Keeper]

€11m would have built a nice little prison, (sea-facing of course), to house these 'eco-worriers'.
I assume they would not be averse to a bit of gas heating during the winter there. :mrgreen:

[Clanrickard]

€11m would have built a nice little prison, (sea-facing of course), to house these 'eco-worriers'.
I assume they would not be averse to a bit of gas heating during the winter there. :mrgreen:

NOOOO! That costs money. I would have them doing something productive.

[DaveM]

Yeah, thanks for that. There are 30 kids in my son's class and we're spending €11m trying to keep a bunch of aging English hippies off private property.

How many water cannon can you buy for €11m? One would probably be enough.

Are you seriously suggesting that the protesters are in control of the way the protests are policed?

You have some bloody neck.

[ON THE ONE ROAD]

It's been reported that the gardaí have spent 11,000,000 euro on policing the protests against the Shell scheme to install a production pipeline and refinery in Kilcommon County Mayo.

[size=7]The amount is more than half of what is being spent on fighting organised crime (€20M)[/size]

is this what katey french died for!!!!