Vol. 520 No. 1
119 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she will confirm that Mullingar is to be connected to the gas pipeline which will go from Galway to Dublin; when she expects this pipeline to be laid; and when a gas supply will be available from this pipeline. [15401/00]
Decisions on pipeline routing and connection to specific towns etc. are a matter for Bord Gáis Éireann and such decisions will be made by BGE on the basis of commercial criteria.
BGE has applied for consent to construct a natural gas pipeline between Dublin, Galway and Limerick. I am aware of the need to process this application without undue delay but I must take account of the liberalisation of the gas market.
The application will be considered from a shareholder perspective to decide whether the investment is prudent. It will be evaluated separately from a regulatory perspective. In this regard, a new regulatory regime for natural gas infrastructure is currently under consideration.
I have engaged economic consultants, the Brattle Group, to advise on the development of a new regulatory regime for the authorisation of new pipelines and tariffs for third party access to the natural gas network. The aim will be to promote development of competition in the supply of gas and provide appropriate economic signals in relation to the establishment of new pipeline infrastructure.
