Richard Boyd Barrett TD

In a statement today, Save Our Seafront declared that the Providence Resources decision to surrender its Foreshore Licence was a clear victory for People Power.

Providence Resources were granted a Foreshore Licence last September by the Minister for the Environment to drill an exploratory well in Dublin Bay just 4 miles from the coast.

Save Our Seafront has been campaigning for over a year to stop the plans to drill in Dublin Bay.  Save Our Seafronts concerns included the lack of any public consultation and a belief that the application for the Foreshore Licence was not subjected to the mandatory environmental controls under EU law.

The campaign has included huge public meetings, intensive lobbying of politicians, petitioning and protesting. 

In a Providence statement today it says that they will resubmit their application when the Minister has made amendments to the ‘planning and environment regulations’.

Richard Boyd Barrett TD (Chair of Save Our Seafront)who spearheaded the opposition to the Providence Application in the Dail said: “We feel utterly vindicated that Providence has surrendered this licence. This is a victory for People Power, pure and simple.  It proves that protests work.”

“The insistent and relentless campaigning of the people along the coast of Dublin was finally listened to. We commend all the individuals and groups that have been involved in this campaigning.”

Cllr Melisa Halpin (People Before Profit Dun Laoghaire) added: “The threat to our Bay has not gone away though.  Providence has said they will resubmit when the Minister has made some changes to the application process.  Clearly some agreement has been come to between Providence and the Department of the Environment for Providence to surrender this licence. Obviously it was the campaign of People Power that has forced the hand of the government to enter into negotiations with Providence.

The outpouring of public support for the motions that myself and Cllr Lewis have been raising at council level, for the meetings and the protests has been gratifying.  People always say Irish people won’t protest, well we have just proved them wrong!”

To welcome in 2013, on Sunday, Save Our Seafront and supporters, including Richard Boyd Barrett, TD, Fergal McLoughlin (An Taisce), Cllrs Melisa Halpin and Hugh Lewis (People Before Profit Dun Laoghaire) and Dublin City Councillor Brid Smith gathered on Sandymount Strand at the Martello Tower, to illustrate the potential dangers of oil exploration in Dublin Bay.

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Providence Resources have recently received exploration licences and a foreshore licence to commence exploring for oil just 6kms from the Dublin coast.

Save Our Seafront has been working with other groups and individuals for the last year to stop this plan by Providence.

Braving the cold, campaigners, dressed in white overalls and armed with a bath and cleaning equipment demonstrated the kind of clean up that might have to take place if there were an oil leak as a result of planned oil exploration in Dublin Bay.

The issue of the Foreshore Licence is the subject of a judicial review that An Taisce will be bringing to the High Court in February