Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question because it gives me an opportunity to put on the record of the House that "State-led" means that the strategic gas emergency reserve will be owned and operated by the gas system operator, which is Gas Networks Ireland, and public procurement processes will determine any future partners, that is, whom we will purchase the gas from. I think the Deputy, with his legal background, will understand that to try to put some procurement law around the conditions about which he seems to obsess as to whom he would purchase or not purchase gas from would certainly not stand up to legal challenge, but I understand the point he is making. The timing of this was such that we had to act on this very quickly. It was nothing to do with anything geopolitical. It was really that this risk had been identified very clearly.

The CEPA report will be published in a matter of weeks. I will provide briefings on it to Deputies who are interested in it. It will give them a better understanding as to why we have taken this decision as well.

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