I thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, for giving me permission to raise this matter on the Adjournment. I am glad to see here the Minister of State at the Department of Public Enterprise, Deputy Jacob, who has responsibility for this matter.
I am concerned at the recent proposal by Bord Gáis Éireann to seek approval under section 8 of the Gas Act, 1976, and the Gas (Amendment) Act, 1998, to extend the national gas grid from Dublin to Galway and onwards to Limerick without taking into account points west and north-west of that line. Bord Gáis made a proposal to the Government of which I was a member to run a pipeline, I believe, from Dundalk to Sligo and then southwards to serve all the major towns such as Ballina, Castlebar, Tuam, Galway and points further south. It may be that there is a simple explanation for this. Yesterday, the Minister and Minister of State, who have responsibility for bringing gas ashore and for distributing it on the mainland, answered a series of questions about Enterprise Oil's find in the Corrib field off Achill Head. This reputedly contains 1.3 trillion cubic metres of gas.
I am concerned that the Bord Gáis proposal to extend the pipeline from Dundalk through Athlone, where the Minister for Public Enterprise resides, to Galway and on to Limerick does not cater for the region to the west and north-west. It may be that Enterprise Oil may have informed the Department that it will build its own pipeline if the find is deemed to be commercial. That may be the reason that Bord Gáis has not included this in its proposal. The Minister may be able to confirm that. Given that in the national development plan which was published earlier this week £40 billion will be spent over the next seven years, that Objective One status was granted to the Border, midlands and western region following a long struggle and that the Western Development Commission has been established with the specific task of attempting to raise the economic and industrial base in the west to a level similar to that in other areas, this major proposal by Bord Gáis should not leave that vast tract of territory without a pipeline.
The ESB recently reported that there is a major power shortage in the loop west and north-west and that no heavy industry of serious consequence can be placed there because of lack of power. Natural gas is a major source of power and Bord Gáis, while proposing to extend its pipeline, intends to build a second interconnector to Scotland. This would mean that if Enterprise Oil was to declare its find commercial and bring the gas ashore, and if it followed through with further appraisal wells on the Shannon prospect south of the Corrib field, that the second interconnector could be used as an export conduit on to the British mainland and the European grid.
I am not sure if the Minister of State can reply to my questions. Has Enterprise Oil confirmed that it would be prepared to build its own gas pipeline in the western region to serve the west and north-west? Has it confirmed that, in preparing to declare the field to be commercial, it is going to land the gas in County Mayo, specifically, either in Ballyglass or Killala? This is critical, both for the establishment of a power base, perhaps at Bellacorick, for the generation of electricity and as a strong incentive for major industry to locate in the region.
Given Government statements, and the fact that the part of the country to which I refer has been neglected and is recognised as being disadvantaged both nationally and in Brussels, it is strange that Bord Gáis' major proposal to extend the gas pipeline ignores that entire region. An explanation is required in this regard. If Bord Gáis has not provided such an explanation or if Enterprise Oil has not confirmed that it intends to build its own gas pipeline, the Minister of State should give the necessary instruction to Bord Gáis that the proposal be altered to include a provision for the pipeline to run to Sligo and the north-west and to run south from Sligo to Ballina Castlebar, Tuam and Galway.
If and when this gas is brought ashore from the Corrib field, the area in question will be able to avail of it or, if necessary, new gas can be imported through the existing interconnector or the second interconnector, if it proceeds. It is necessary for an area, even the one in which the Leas Cheann-Comhairle lives, to have a strong power base to use as a marketing instrument to attract industry.
