15 PEOPLE ARE DUE BEFORE BELMULLET DISTRICT COURT TODAY,  FACING PUBLIC ORDER CHARGES FOR PROTESTING AGAINST THE CORRIB GAS PIPELINE.

MOST OF THE CHARGES ARE CONNECTED WITH BLOCKING SHELL TRAFFIC DURING THE EARLY PHASES OF THE ONSHORE PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION.

PROTESTORS BELIEVE THIS CONSTRUCTION SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE WHILE THERE ARE STILL QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF THE CORRIB PROJECT.

THE COMMERCIAL COURT IS CURRENTLY JUDICIAL REVIEWS OF AN BORD PLEANÁLA'S DECISION TO GRANT PLANNING PERMISSION AND OF TWO OTHER CONSENTS FOR THE ONSHORE PIPELINE.

MEANWHILE, A GALWAY SENATOR HAS CRITICISED MINISTER PAT RABBITTE FOR COMMENTS HE MADE IN A SEANAD DEBATE EARLIER THIS WEEK IN RELATION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CORRIB GAS FIELD.

THE MINISTER REFERRED TO THE 17-YEAR DELAY IN BRINGING GAS ASHORE FROM THE CORRIB FIELD, AND SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THE DELAY WERE DAFT.

SINN FEIN SENATOR TREVOR O’CLOCHARTAIGH SAYS THE MINISTER’S REMARKS WERE SCANDALOUS, AND HAS CALLED ON HIM TO APOLOGISE TO THE PEOPLE OF MAYO – THE MINISTER’S NATIVE COUNTY.