Negotiations have begun between an energy company and Bord na Móna to move a huge quantity of peat bog from the site of a proposed gas terminal in Co Mayo to repair bogs exhausted by the semi-State turf company.
The talks could help to deal with An Bord Pleanála's objections to the Enterprise Energy Ireland Bellanaboy project, which is just two miles from the major peat landslide at Pullathomas.
In April An Bord Pleanála rejected the planning application by Enterprise Energy Ireland, which is now owned by Royal Dutch Shell, following the country's longest-ever hearing.
Enterprise Energy Ireland proposed to keep 650,000 cubic metres of peat taken from its 15-hectare site in a two-metre high pile alongside the R314 non-national road.
However, An Bord Pleanála found that the pile posed an "unacceptable" risk to the health and safety of the local community because there was a high probability that it would fall on to the road.
In addition, the bog would cause unacceptable pollution to the local Glenamoy, Sruwaddacon Bay and Carrowmore Lake salmon-spawning areas and would seriously injure local amenities.
Enterprise Energy Ireland and Bord na Móna have recently begun discussions about moving the bog, which is large enough to fill Croke Park stadium, to exhausted bogs owned by the turf company.
Royal Dutch Shell has yet to decide if it will submit a new planning application to Mayo County Council for the project.
Mr Tom Botts, managing director of Shell's European exploration company, EP Europe, met the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, on September 19th to discuss the company's concerns about planning delays.
In the Dáil yesterday the Taoiseach rejected Sinn Féin charges that the Shell meeting interfered with the planning process, pointing out that it did not take place until six months after An Bord Pleanála had issued its ruling.
He told Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD: "It would be highly inappropriate for me not to meet with people wishing to legitimately invest their resources in generating projects and activities in this country."
The Shell executive had wanted to know if the Government's proposed National Infrastructure Board would be in place in time to deal with a renewed application, should that arise.
"I explained to him . . . that it was unlikely the new Bill would be in place before next summer when it was hoped they could commence work. I recommended they stay with the normal planning structure. He informed me they would take that information into account," Mr Ahern told the Dáil.
