Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey has agreed to appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in relation to the Corrib gas issue.
The Minister will take questions on the €900 million Corrib gas project's "process, structure and management", but there will be no discussion on the imprisonment of the five men from north Mayo over their opposition to the onshore gas pipeline, according to committee chairman Noel O'Flynn (Fianna Fáil).
The issue could not be discussed while the men were in contempt of court on legal advice, Mr O'Flynn said.
A date for the committee hearing would be agreed in principle early next week, a spokeswoman for the Minister said last night.
In related developments, Shell E&P Ireland's chief executive Andy Pyle and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny held discussions on the imprisonment of the five yesterday, but neither party would make any comment.
Mr Kenny has argued that a legal precedent exists whereby Shell can lift its injunction against the landowners opposed to the pipeline without prejudicing further legal action. However, Shell says its legal advice is contrary to this.
Meanwhile Mayo county manager Des Mahon, chairman of the Corrib project monitoring committee, has expressed concern about threats to water quality if Shell is not permitted to enter the Bellanaboy terminal site to carry out environmental works.
A statement issued by Mr Mahon on the project monitoring committee's behalf says it is "satisfied at this time" with the quality of treated water drawn from Carrowmore lake.
However, the local authority believes there is a problem with the "inability of existing settlement ponds on the terminal site to deal with suspended solids present in the surface water run-off from the exposed mineral soils in the terminal footprint".
Shell says the "issue" arises from rain falling on the mineral soils in the areas at the Bellanaboy terminal site where peat has been removed.
Temporary works were carried out by four Shell representatives this week, who entered the site before picketers arrived. The company says further work is required.
