Mr Dempsey confirmed that he was giving consent for construction of the offshore section of the new pipeline despite the fact that an independent safety review of the onshore section has yet to be finalized. On 1 August, the minister ordered Shell to dismantle a section of pipeline it had already laid in County Mayo without any consent from the Government. Several local residents are vehemently opposed to the laying of an onshore pipeline, and want gas from the Corrib field to be pumped to an offshore terminal instead. However, announcing his approval for the latest phase of the project, Mr Dempsey said it was "strategically important for Ireland in terms of enhancing security of gas supply".