Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 6:

In page 12, to delete lines 28 to 30 and substitute the following:

“(i) by the substitution of the following subsections for subsections (1) and (2):

“(1) (a) The Board shall own, operate, develop and maintain a system for the transmission and distribution of natural gas being a system that is carbon budget-aligned, economical and efficient and appears to the Minister to be requisite for the time being.

(b) Nothing in paragraph (a) shall be construed as imposing on the Board, either directly or indirectly, any form of duty or liability enforceable by proceedings before any court to which it would not otherwise be subject.

(c) Nothing in paragraph (a) shall be construed as imposing on the Board, either directly or indirectly, any form of duty or function to promote, advertise or incentivise new connections to transmission or distribution gas systems.

(2) The Board shall carry out its obligations under this Act in accordance with the Natural Gas Market Directive and carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings under the Climate (Amendment) Act 2021 and having regard to the need to ensure the safety and security of the transmission, distribution and supply of natural gas and having regard to the decarbonisation of the energy system.”,”.

I will withdraw this amendment. I reserve the right to reintroduce it on Report Stage.