Tom McHugh (Fine Gael)

candidate Dáil election

In 2006, the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources (DCENR) estimated that the amount of gas and oil off Ireland’s west coast, is a potential 10 BBOE (billion barrels of oil equivalent). Based on the average price of a barrel of oil for 2010 of $80, this works out at $800 billion, or €600 billion.

• Do you believe that the Irish people should benefit from any exploitation of the estimated €600 billion of oil & gas off the west coast of Ireland?
  

A 2007 report by the United States Government Accountability Office found that only Cameroon took a lower share of the revenues from its own oil or gas resources than Ireland. In December 2010, Brian Ó Catháin, who previously was in charge of the Corrib Gas Project stated he expected "that Corrib will never pay tax”.

• Do you agree that it is time to renegotiate the deal that Bertie Ahern and Ray Burke gave to the oil companies?
  

Shell have received an unprecedented Compulsory Acquisition Orders (CAO) over land in Glengad and Aughoose despite some of the landowners being totally opposed to Shell´s plans for the area. Shell are proposing to put up fencing and engage security to keep people off their own land.

• Do you agree that taking away people´s property rights for the sole benefit of foreign multinationals is wrong?
  

Shell have been granted permission to lay a 5km long tunnel with a diameter of 4.2m through an area that has been designated as a Special Area of Conservation under EU law.

• Do you agree that environmental law should apply to everyone in Ireland including powerful companies?

Your party is proposing that 30,000 jobs will have to go in the public sector through retirement etc. If you do not come close to this objective figure what is the alternative that Fine Gael are going to do to achieve their required cuts in the public sector?

Will you support in their demand for a proper train service at Station?

Currently we are well served West bound into Galway City. However, there is no East bound train stopping at between 05.35 and 15.35. We need an East bound service that will get people to Dublin at a reasonable time to conduct business.

We urgently seek your support and ask you to contact Myles McHugh at Irish Rail immediately as the new timetable is under review and due to be finalised in the next 10 days.

We look forward to hearing from you.

, Chairman.

In relation to a recent statement from Fine Gael HQ, which included:

"The Party has firmly committed to overhauling animal welfare legislation which is outdated and has not been dealt with by the last Government despite protestations that animal welfare was a priority",

(a) how can Fine Gael justify a contradictory statement which states: "The Fine Gael Party manifesto outlines the Party’s position on stag hunting, which is to reverse the ban".

(b) will you explain how your party can protest that animal welfare is a priority and still support a cruel stag-hunt which terrorises an animal for the pleasure of humans?

(c) will you make representations to Enda Kenny to NOT repeal the ban introduced by the Fianna Fáil/Green Party coalition?