RSF welcome release of Rossport 5

national | miscellaneous | press release Saturday October 01, 2005 22:46 by Ruairí Óg Ó Brádaigh Publicity Officer - Republican Sinn Féin

RSF welcome release of Rossport 5 - Statement by RSF Vice President Des Dalton

Republican Sinn Fein welcomes the release of the Rossport 5 on September 30 and salutes the moral courage and leadership they displayed during their 94 days of imprisonment.

The very fact that they served one day in prison is an indictment of a state, which is willing to jail its own citizens at the behest of multi-national oil companies, whilst it places the safety and welfare of its citizens solely in the hands of these same companies.

The release of the men does not mark the end of the campaign as they themselves have always pointed out; it merely marks a new phase in it.

Firstly the gas extracted from the Corrib gasfield must be refined off shore. Secondly, the Irish people must get a return economically from any exploitation of Ireland's natural resources. Under the present arrangement with Shell and Statoil no royalties will be paid and only 10 per cent tax, the norm is at least 25 per cent.

This arrangement must be renegotiated on terms that will have real benefit for the Irish people. It is thanks to the Rossport 5 and their community that what amounts to the theft of Ireland's natural resources by successive 26 County administrations has been put centre stage.