Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That excludes huge parts of the country. In my constituency there is a gas pipeline from Limerick to Askeaton and to Aughinish Alumina. Another spur goes from Limerick through Charleville and Kilmallock to Cork. There is no gas infrastructure in all of County Kerry, most of Limerick and all of north Cork. That is just one region, not to mention the fact that the counties of Longford, Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan have no access to the network, in addition to a huge part of the south east, such as Wexford and parts of Kilkenny, Carlow and Wicklow. What is the plan to roll out the network?

There are substantial industrial locations in my region, such as Newcastle West, Listowel, Tralee and Killarney, that are huge consumers of energy. I presume the tourism industry in the Kerry region alone is a massive consumer of energy, not to mention the agri-food industry in Listowel, Newcastle West and the like. Is there a plan to extend the network to those locations if there is to be an alternative transport system that will be based on compressed natural gas from a pipeline? These areas are already disadvantaged from the point of view of having access to affordable energy in terms of gas that will come on stream from the Corrib, the Porcupine or wherever in the future. If one talks to the IDA or anybody who wishes to invest in such locations, they are at a distinct disadvantage if there is no access to a main gas pipeline. Will they not be further disadvantaged by the absence of a complete infrastructure if this goes ahead?