Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

This amendment makes proposals on reporting requirements for pipeline operators with regard to decarbonisation and requirements under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. As previously mentioned, the implementation of the European directive on common rules for the internal markets in renewable and natural gases and hydrogen is a more appropriate legislative vehicle for consideration of the decarbonisation of the gas grid and GNI's role and functions as provided for in the Gas Act 1976, as amended.

Another significant development of which I am sure the Senator is aware is the publication of a report, Energy Security in Ireland to 2030, which outlines a new strategy to outline energy security in Ireland for this decade while ensuring a sustainable transition to a carbon-neutral energy system by 2050. Within this package, there is a specific action approved by the Government to review gas connections policy and introduce gas demand flexibility measures.

Under the Climate Action Plan 2023, the CRU has been assigned as the lead organisation to complete and publish an electricity demand strategy and implementation plan. As part of this, the CRU is undertaking a review of the processing of new large energy connections to the electricity and gas systems. The aim of this review is to provide a pathway for new large energy users, LEUs, for their connections to electricity and gas systems, which minimises the impact on national carbon emissions while taking into account the capacity of the system with regard to the supply of energy on the grid infrastructure. Given that the proposed amendments are outside the scope of the Bill as agreed by the Government, I propose to reject these amendments, while acknowledging GNI's current obligations under current and pending legislation.