Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 March 2022
151. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which it is more expensive to import natural gas into Ireland than utilising indigenous gas resources; and the annual energy and fuel import bill from the UK gas system. [12890/22]
View answerIreland sources around one-quarter of its gas from the Corrib Gas field, and three-quarters via the UK, which has diverse sources of supply. The price which energy suppliers pay for natural gas on the market is a commercial transaction. Energy Suppliers must also pay a regulated price to the Transmission System Operator for the transportation of gas through the gas transmission network, which in Ireland is regulated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), Ireland’s independent utility regulator. Gas imported from both Great Britain and Corrib is subject to costs for transporting the gas through the transmission network. The Minister has no function in relation to the setting of these prices.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to end the issuing of new licences for the exploration and extraction of natural gas on the same basis as the decision taken by the previous government in relation to oil exploration and extraction. This commitment has been implemented by my Department and has been given statutory effect through the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021.
