Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Bord Gáis Éireann is the owner of the national gas transmission and distribution systems, and is mandated with the development and maintenance of the natural gas network under the Gas Act 1976.

The Commission for Energy Regulation is the statutorily independent body charged with all aspects of the licensing of transmission and distribution operators. A key legal responsibility of the regulator is to promote the safety of natural gas for customers and the public generally.

The regulator's remit now also includes specific responsibility for natural gas safety. The Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 empowered the regulator to regulate from a safety perspective undertakings involved in gas transmission, distribution, storage, supply and shipping. The regulator has established a natural gas safety regulatory framework, including a system for the inspection and testing of natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines. The regulator places obligations on undertakings to ensure that any safety risks associated with their operations are reduced to as low as reasonably practicable. Bord Gáis Éireann's transmission and distribution operations are subjected to ongoing audit and inspection by the regulator. Additionally, Bord Gáis Éireann reports quarterly to the regulator on a comprehensive range of safety performance indicators to verify that all operations are in compliance with the overall natural gas regulatory framework.

Safety is Bord Gáis Éireann's first priority and the company is committed to ongoing development and maintenance of the gas networks and systems to ensure safety and to deliver continuous safety improvement and performance. Bord Gáis Éireann also has a continuous programme of safety promotion including the gas efficiency service, the dial before you dig service, promotion of registered gas installers and public awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide. Since its establishment Bord Gáis Éireann has developed and modernised a national gas distribution pipeline network of nearly 11,000 km and a gas transmission pipeline network of over 2,000 km as well as the two interconnectors with Scotland. There are over 640,000 gas users in Ireland. Bord Gáis Éireann operates the networks in compliance with recognised Irish and international quality and safety standards.

I have every confidence in Bord Gáis Éireann's priority commitment to safety and its safety and emergency response service. There is never room for complacency however and Bord Gáis Éireann is engaged in a constant process of safety review and enhancement working with regulator.

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