Vol. 409 No. 6
107 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Energy whether he is concerned about the number of leaks and necessary repairs to gas pipelines in Cork Gas; and if he has satisfied himself that adequate measures have been taken to avoid any serious accidents occurring.
Bord Gáis Éireann has made consistent and steady progress on all safety fronts in the southern region and there has not been any major incident in recent years.
A number of technical audits have been carried out by independent experts since the takeover of Cork Gas Company by Bord Gáis and these have verified that the system is being operated safely and to current international standards.
The number of publicly reported escapes has been greatly reduced, and there has been a marked reduction in lost gas to well below the international average.
My Department keeps the board's progress on safety-related matters under ongoing review, and I am satisfied that its efforts to date have greatly reduced the risk of any serious incident occurring.
