Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 29 March 2022
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action
Energy Challenges: Discussion
Mr. John Melvin:
In the first instance, we will report the current situation. Ms MacEvilly has spoken to strategic need and importance. If we have a system that depends on gas, the N-1 infrastructure standard is a simple standard that does not involve probabilities. It states that if a country has a system, it should be able to withstand the loss of one piece of infrastructure. That is a simple rule that would apply to all sorts of businesses. Any industry that needs two machines would buy a third so that it could withstand the loss of one. In the absence of co-ordinated arrangements with the UK, through the EU, we no longer meet that standard and, therefore, it is an important requirement. Whether one seeks a derogation from it, it still stands that it is an important and well-recognised requirement that industries and economies should look for infrastructure security.