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Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

Allegations of Shell booze bribes for gardaí 'raise serious concerns'

A company that worked for shell until 2010 claims it delivered a large amount of alcohol to gardaí in Belmullet in December 2007.

REPRESENTATIVES OF SHELL to Sea have called for an independent inquiry into allegations by a company that it distributed alcohol to gardaí while working on behalf of Shell in Co Mayo.

In an article in The Observer yesterday, Glasgow based company OSSL, which procured materials and services for Shell, claimed it was tasked with providing “a tennis court, cookers, television sets, agricultural equipment, school fees, home improvements, garden centre visits, forestry equipment” for local residents on behalf of Shell, to keep them on side.

The company also alleged it delivered €35,000 worth of alcohol, which came from Northern Ireland, to Belmullet Garda Station in December 2007.

Superintendent John Gillian is quoted by one of the managers of the company as saying “it’s lucky these walls are high”, as the consignment of alcohol was unloaded from an unmarked van.

Commenting on the accusations, Shell to Sea spokesperson Maura Harrington said that as well as the issue of “alcohol-fueled police violence”, this raises “serious concerns” for the auditors of Shell E&P Ireland.

“It seems that Shell are intent to pay absolutely no tax in the State whatsoever, as even this alcohol was smuggled across the border,” Harrington said.

Shell to Sea are now calling for a “fully independent international inquiry” into the allegations.

In a statement, gardaí said that allegations were made to the district officer at Belmullet in 2011, that alcohol was distribute to officers on behalf of Shell but inquiries found “no evidence” of this.

Read: Mayo farmer to face criminal damage charge over Shell protest>

Read: Campaigner against Corrib gas pipeline ‘on hunger strike’ in prison>

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185 Comments
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    Mute Paul Heffernan
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    Aug 26th 2013, 10:20 AM

    Mains pipes in Limerick must be in a bad way. I work on the Ballysimon Road in Limerick and the amount of times the mains pipe on this road has burst is nuts.

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    Mute Antonov Merinov
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    Aug 26th 2013, 10:35 AM

    By the looks of that pipe I bet the Romans had a better water supply.

    48
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    Mute Goebong
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    Aug 26th 2013, 10:37 AM

    Well done limerick country council great work getting the water supply back on do quick

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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Aug 26th 2013, 12:21 PM

    Goebong.

    Am I reading your comment correct?

    Are you congragulating Limerick CITY council for actually doing the job they are being paid to do?

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    Mute Goebong
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    Aug 26th 2013, 1:51 PM

    Yes they done a great job water back on within hours great job people could have had no water all day

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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Aug 26th 2013, 2:06 PM

    Goebung

    Thanks for confirming that we need to congragulate council workers for actually working.

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    Mute Goebong
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    Aug 26th 2013, 2:27 PM

    So what do want to give out to them for doing a good job stop being so negative

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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Aug 26th 2013, 3:40 PM

    Goebung

    Dont worry this time next year when their all transfered to Irish Water they will be too busy fixing water meters to have time to fix leaks, then you’ll be giving out.

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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    Aug 26th 2013, 3:48 PM

    It probably was a roman made pipe from roman times

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    Mute Robert Kelly
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    Aug 26th 2013, 12:10 PM

    Is that a stock photo of some pipe that leaked or a photo of water pipes typical of Limerick?

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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Aug 26th 2013, 12:23 PM

    Robert

    That is a stock photo. Howeveer it could also be a photo of typical water pipes anywhere in the country. Some water pipes have been repaired so often the councils would have paid 10 times less to actually replace them altogether.

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    Mute Bluemist
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    Aug 26th 2013, 10:37 AM

    That’s the council “engineers” for you

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    Mute Larry T Bird
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    Aug 26th 2013, 1:16 PM

    The pipe wil need to be fixed and stay fixed, as all the wh0res will need their weekly wash after the weekend

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    Mute Donal O'Byrne
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    Aug 26th 2013, 7:51 PM

    I guess the customers don’t wash at all?

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    Mute Ash
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    Aug 26th 2013, 1:52 PM

    Bit of plumbers mate… She’ll be grand….!

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    Mute Donncha Burke
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    Aug 26th 2013, 12:36 PM

    Do they use wooden pipes as in pic?

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Aug 26th 2013, 12:49 PM

    Pipes my side spear to burst a lot as well as the water is often off for repairs.

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