Vol. 458 No. 6
38 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the plans, if any, he has to extend the supply of natural gas beyond Mullagh and Virginia to other towns in County Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17356/95]
BGE has a statutory obligation to develop and maintain a system for the supply of natural gas on a commercial basis and any proposals for an extension of the gas grid are assessed by the board in the light of that obligation.
Only projects which meet the board's economic criteria are undertaken. In that context, I am anxious that the network should be extended to other areas of the country where that would be commerically viable.
At my request, BGE is currently investigating the economics of extensions to Shannon, Ennis, Tralee, Galway and other towns, including towns in County Cavan.
