Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

We are talking about the serious issue of safety in the gas system. I have set out for the House the statutory responsibilities in that regard. I take the allegations made by the Deputy very seriously and acted on them after he had brought them to my attention when I last answered questions at Question Time. I have since received the two reports to which I referred, one from Bord Gáis and the other from the regulator whom I am not in a position to second guess. I have indicated why the regulator is satisfied that the company, despite the blemishes on its record, to which the Deputy referred, is competent, qualified and has a track record to deal with the functions allocated to it in this contract. It is a company which has 270,000 employees and 163 subsidiary companies. It operates and provides these services across Europe. That is the advice available to me and I have no reason to second guess the regulator in that regard.

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