Development (Strategic Gas Reserve) Bill 2026: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-16
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Nessa Cosgrove (LAB), Labour Panel

I move amendment No. 22:
In page 23, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:
“(3) The matters referred to in subsection (2) are:
(a) an assessment by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, following a public consultation, of the projected impact of the designated development on domestic utility bills, including any socialisation of costs across households and small businesses;
(b) an assessment by the Minister, following a public consultation, of the potential public health impacts and security risks posed to adjacent communities, including risks arising from industrial accidents, structural failures or attacks on the facility;
(c) an updated energy security review and risk assessment prepared by the Minister, following a public consultation, evaluating contemporary geopolitical scenarios and LNG supply disruptions, impacts on national climate targets, against—
(i) the accelerated deployment of renewable energy,
(ii) battery energy storage systems,
(iii) increased interconnection,
(iv) demand reduction measures for large energy users, and
(v) secondary fuel obligations;
(d) a cost-benefit analysis prepared by the Minister which shall—
(i) be prepared in accordance with the Public Spending Code Infrastructure Guidelines,
(ii) assess the full capital, operational and lifecycle costs to both the Exchequer and energy consumers,
(iii) quantify the security-of-supply costs and benefits under multiple distinct energy demand and supply scenarios,
(iv) include a comparative cost assessment of reasonable alternative measures, including demand reduction, system flexibility, increased storage, interconnection and renewable energy deployment, and
(4) The Minister shall lay each assessment, review and analysis referred to in subsection (3) before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as practicable after its completion.”.

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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