Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if a company (details supplied) will build a shallow water offshore terminal for the Corrib gas field due to safety concerns surrounding the onshore pipeline; the details of the new review of the quantified risk assessment carried out by Enterprise Energy Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19919/05]

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has made a final decision on the commissioning of the Corrib gas field onshore pipeline; if he has satisfied himself that the highest safety standards will be achieved in the construction of the pipeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19920/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 84 together.

The Deputy will be aware that the developers' plan of development for the Corrib gas field approved by the then Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Frank Fahey, in April 2002 was in relation to an onshore terminal and this is what was covered by the statutory approval granted. I would like to inform the Deputy that a decision on the company's application to install and commission the onshore pipeline is at an advanced stage but is not yet finalised. Both the quantified risk assessment, QRA, and the Johnston report, to which I have referred previously, will form part of this process. In so far as there may be issues in the QRA that need further clarification, elaboration or even additional material, Mr. Andrew Johnston, assisted by other independent consultants, will be providing the necessary advice to my Department. A tender competition was initiated for the selection of a consultant to carry out a review of the QRA. The company, which was successful following this tendering process, was the British Pipeline Agency, BPA. When I became aware that the company selected by means of a tendering process to undertake the QRA review is owned jointly by BP Oil UK Ltd. and Shell UK Oil Ltd., in the interest of ensuring confidence in the independence of the process of evaluation of the safety aspects of the pipeline as addressed by the QRA version F and considering the public concerns and sensitivities on this issue, I instructed officials of my Department to initiate a further review of the QRA immediately. A consultant has been appointed to carry out the recommissioned review of the QRA and I expect to receive his report shortly. I have already put the QRA version F into the public domain in north Mayo and it has also been published on the Department's website. I intend to do the same in relation to the recommissioned QRA review. It is my intention to progress consideration of the application for consent to install the upstream pipeline in an open, balanced and informed manner and to the highest international standards. My decision to publish the full suite of documents mentioned above, prior to my making a decision, will hopefully allay local fears in regard to the safety of the pipeline and the process being adopted.