Development (Strategic Gas Reserve) Bill 2026: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-16
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Joanne Collins (SF), Agricultural Panel

I move amendment No. 6:
In page 10, between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following:
" State-led
5 . (1) The Strategic Emergency Gas Reserve constructed, operated and maintained under this Act and all future Acts relating to its construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning will be a State-led asset.
(2) Any permission granted under this Act and all future Acts relating to construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of a Strategic Emergency Gas Reserve must be explicitly limited to a public body only.”.
This amendment relates to the facility being State-led, which we have been calling for since the beginning. Energy security is a matter of national interest. This amendment ensures that any strategic gas reserve remains in public ownership and under State control. Essential infrastructure should serve the public interest rather than private commercial interests. We submitted amendments both here and in the Dáil and Seanad because we believe that energy security, as with food security or any kind of security for this country, should be State-owned. We should not give our gas or electricity to outside State companies.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:17+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-16