Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)

The importance of LNG for north Kerry and west Limerick cannot be emphasised enough. We are concerned with as many as 450 jobs to start it up. Reports, true or otherwise, have been consistently circulating in the area that Hess LNG is on the brink of pulling out because of the possible €10 million tariff per year to use the national gas pipe network. The regulator has told Shannon LNG that it must pay to use the gas pipeline that connects Ireland to the UK and that will cut costs by €10 million. The parent company, Hess LNG, sees this charge as unsustainable and as a consequence, has been considering its future. The company has invested up to €50 million in the project to date.

The Minister said he expected a decision from the regulator within the next two months. I heard in September that the decision would be in October, yet now we are at the end of November.

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