€13.5 million for Shell’s cops

The Department of Justice announced in January that it has spent €13.5 million since 2003 on Shell Oil’s pipeline in Mayo. The gardai have used heavy handed tactics against peaceful protestors who have the backing of the local community.

The operation cost more than €1m in October 2008, the month Shell called in the world’s largest pipelaying vessel, The Solitaire.

Scores of extra uniformed gardaí, the Garda Water Unit, two navy ships and divers, private security firms and garda surveillance teams were sent to Rossport to join the nearly 200 permanent garda force in the area.

It is a disgrace that the state is spending so much money trying to push through a dangerous pipeline against the wishes of the local community. In these times of economic crisis this funding should be the first to get cut.