Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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200. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the process through which a costing of €900 million was reached for the proposed LNG gas reserve; and the breakdown of the projected annual cost, broken down by capital expenditure and operational expenditure, in tabular form. [55329/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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201. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the breakdown of the projected total first- and full-year operational expenditure cost to operate the proposed LNG gas terminal, in tabular form. [55330/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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202. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the breakdown of the projected total first- and full-year capital expenditure cost to operate the proposed LNG gas terminal, in tabular form. [55331/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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203. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of funding allocated to the proposed gas reserve in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55332/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 200, 201, 202 and 203 together.

In March of this year, I received Government approval to proceed with the development of a State-led strategic gas emergency reserve. The delivery of a temporary gas reserve is critical to Ireland’s energy security as we continue to transition to indigenous, clean renewable energy. Crucially, the strategic gas emergency reserve will also ensure compliance with EU standards and regulation. The Government will continue to take decisive action to protect Ireland’s economy and citizens from the potential catastrophic impact of a significant disruption to gas supplies.

The emergency reserve will be in the form of a Floating Storage and Regassification Unit to be owned on behalf of the State by the system operator, Gas Networks Ireland (GNI). The reserve will protect Ireland’s economy and citizens from the potential catastrophic impact of a significant disruption to gas supplies.

Gas Networks Ireland are now progressing the project through detailed design and market engagement to determine the final costs to deliver this strategic gas emergency reserve. The final investment decision will be subject to Government approval and will be supported by independent assessments undertaken by financial and commercial advisory authority NewERA, as well as the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.

No funding was allocated to the strategic gas emergency reserve in Budget 2026. The standard approach for cost recovery for security of supply measures and investments to meet EU regulations is through the existing regulatory framework and achieved over the lifetime of the asset. Identifying opportunities to minimise the impact of this cost on energy consumers is a key workstream of this project.