Councillors support gas exploration off North Mayo coast

Mayo county councillors have backed a motion calling on the local authority to write to the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan to support the continued exploration of the Inishkea gas prospect off the North Mayo coast.

The motion was put forward by the council’s Economic Development, Enterprise Support, Planning and Marine Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) and discussed at last week’s full meeting of councillors.

When the SPC discuss the matter last month, members heard contributions from Maura Harrington, a veteran of the Shell to Sea campaign, and Jerry McEvilly, Friends of the Earth Head of Policy Change who outlined the economic and environment reasons for not providing a drilling licence for the gas field off the Erris coast.

“This SPC has an equal part to play and not just a part of going with Brian or going with Maura,” Ms Harrington said.

“It behoves you as the strategic policy committee to do more than just assess what you got from Europa Oil and from us today. Call in people and seek the best advice to inform yourself. Are you yourselves seeking information to inform yourselves other than from people who have lobbied you to make representations? There is all sorts of stuff you need to find out for yourselves,” she added.

The June meeting of the SPC had heard a presentation from Europa Oil & Gas, the company behind the venture.

“It was the view of the SPC that indigenous gas is becoming more and more important, as highlighted in the context of the Ukraine-Russian war and the carbon impact of importing gas,” the motion that came before councillors last week stated.

Chair of the SPC, Independent Cllr Mark Duffy, told his colleagues that the project could increase Ireland’s gas supply by 60%.

“Ireland will need gas well into the future as much as we invest in wind,” he added.

Cllr Gerry Coyle said “massive mistakes” were made in relation to the Corrib gas field, adding that the local community must gain from projects like Inishkea.

“This time we want the money,” he stated.

Europa Oil & Gas has almost doubled its estimate for how much gas could be contained at its Inishkea West prospect.

In a stock market update, the firm said recent seismic survey work indicated the Inishkea West site could potentially hold up to 1.55tn cubic feet of gas.

It would also mean the site is potentially larger than the Corrib gas field, which is currently in production and is Ireland’s only indigenous source of natural gas, supplying around 25% of national needs.

Europa Oil & Gas said it would now apply to the Government for an extension of its exploration licence at the Inishkea site to complete further survey work and to find a “suitable partner” to commence drilling at the gas field.