Shell E&P Ireland has appealed for an end to protests at its Corrib gas construction sites in north Mayo, following a decision to lay off 56 more sub-contractor workers.
The 56 people are employed by Sicim-Roadbridge and have been involved in engineering, land works and security at four sites within the €900 million project.
Eight of 12 security staff would be retained at the sites, the company said. Most of the 56 affected were from the west and were engaged on "non-pipeline" work at the Bellanaboy terminal site, at the Pullathomas Road access, at Glengad and at Rossport.
Shell's operations manager Mark Carrigy said the company would be meeting other contractors "in the coming days" to "re-assess prospects for any progress on non-pipeline work".
Mr Carrigy appealed to protesters, who have picketing the sites in support of the five north Mayo men still in jail, to discontinue their "obstruction" to allow for an "orderly departure of workers and equipment. Mark Garavan, spokesman for the protesters and for the men in prison said there was no problem with this.
The company repeated yesterday that no decision had yet been taken on laying the high-pressure pipeline offshore, although the world's largest pipe-laying vessel, the 285m (935 ft) Solitaire, has been "optioned" to work next month.
The company has not yet received ministerial consents for this work.
Mr Garavan and Green Party marine spokesman Eamon Ryan have said that any such action would prejudge the safety review of the onshore pipeline commissioned by Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey.
The Erris Inshore Fishermen's Association has said any such work would "inflame tensions". It has discontinued co-operating with Shell since the imprisonments, while stating that it has no objection to gas being brought ashore if it is done in a safe and environmentally friendly way.
Shell's "often-stated policy" of wanting to be a "good neighbour" to the people of Erris was "disingenuous and for public relation purposes" and was now "well and truly shattered", the association added.
Labour Party marine and natural resources spokesman Tommy Broughan has expressed disappointment at the refusal of the Taoiseach to recall the Dáil over the issue. He has also contacted Norwegian prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and intends to meet officials from the Norwegian Embassy in Dublin next week in relation to Statoil's role as a shareholder in the Corrib gas project.
