The Government has granted consent for Shell to begin operating the Corrib Gas pipeline in Mayo.

The Minister for Communications Alex White issued a statement this evening which states that the consent is subject to 20 conditions relating to environmental management, operation, control and monitoring.

Minister White said the Government's planned transition to a low carbon economy "will take time, and fossil fuels will remain part of our energy mix for some years to come."

"In this context, the development of indigenous gas resources will deliver significant and sustained benefits, particularly in terms of enhanced security of supply, import substitution, national and local economic development, and fiscal return," he added.

Shell E&P Ireland, which operates the pipeline and the onshore terminal, was granted an industrial emissions license by the Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year, meaning it required only ministerial approval before beginning operations.

The offshore gas field was first discovered in 1996 and development of the project began in 2004. However, local residents protested the development on safety and environmental grounds, with the 'Rossport Five' jailed for 94 days after violating a court injunction to to interfere with the pipeline's construction.

A final route for the pipeline was approved in 2011 and construction was completed last year.

The saga also received international attention and was the subject of 'The Pipe,' a 2010 documentary.