Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 6 December 2023

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee Stage

Photo of Darren O'RourkeDarren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 18:

In page 14, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following:

“(f) in section 39A, by the substitution of the following subsections for subsection (4):
"(4) Where, from the appointed day, the Commission determines that the capacity of existing or proposed distribution or transmission pipelines in a particular geographical area, as specified by the Commission, represents adequate provision for reasonable expectation of demand, or risks inconsistency with the carbon budget programme or sectoral emissions ceiling, it may refuse to give its consent under section 39A(1) of the Gas Act 1976, to the construction of any new distribution or transmission pipeline in that particular area.

(4A) Where the Commission determines that connection to the distribution network risks inconsistency with the carbon budget programme or the revised EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive or where the Commission determines that zero-carbon energy sources are available in that area, it may refuse to consent the connection of existing dwelling or dwellings to the distribution system or distribution pipeline.

(4B) The operator shall not propose transmission or distribution pipelines in geographical areas eligible for the development of district heating as specified by the Commission.”.”.