I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce the Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2026 to the House. The Bill makes crucial amendments to the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 to improve the safety of the operation, monitoring, maintenance and use of natural gas, NG, and liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, in Ireland. The regulation of natural gas markets and undertakings, gas installers and LPG undertakings serving domestic customers via piped distribution networks are responsibilities of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU. Undertakings are licensed by the CRU in accordance with the gas safety framework, a set of rules that is currently on a non-statutory basis. In 2016, the CRU was alerted to the existence of unlicensed LPG networks serving domestic customers. These networks fell outside of the existing definition of an LPG undertaking and thereby were not subject to the CRU’s licensing regime. The CRU carried out inspections and inquiries and issued instructions requiring improvements to networks’ safety practices. In its report on the issue, the CRU recommended legislative change to bring these networks under the licensing regime. This Bill addresses this by introducing a new LPG safety licence, a class 2 licence, for operators making LPG available through fewer than ten piped distribution networks for use by individual domestic customers. This new class of licence is suited to the needs of smaller operators. A lower application fee will be required, with holders of licences bound to adhere to safety requirements outlined by the CRU in the regulations. Smaller operators are not required to prepare a resource-intensive safety case but all operators of heretofore unregulated LPG networks are brought into the regulatory framework to ensure the safety of consumers and the general public. I will run through the key measures included in this Bill. The gas safety framework is to be put on a statutory basis. This Bill will strengthen CRU’s safety remit over domestic LPG and natural gas networks including through the introduction of an LPG safety licence, the class 2 licence I mentioned. Definitions of natural gas and LPG incidents are broadened to include near-miss or precursor events. The Bill strengthens the powers of the CRU to specify gas undertakings’ emergency response requirements. The powers of gas safety officers, GSOs, and gas emergency officer, GEOs, are strengthened. This will include powers to obtain warrants for entry into land and dwellings and provisions for reimbursement for damage caused in the execution of their duties. Provisions for the transition to the new statutory safety regime are made. This includes grandfathering existing NG and LPG safety cases, provisions for the continuity of service of GEOs appointed by Gas Networks Ireland and for the termination of appointments of GEOs appointed by LPG undertakings, and provisions for the continuity of service of GSOs and the continued validity of their inspections and investigations. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action issued its report on pre-legislative scrutiny of this Bill in March 2024. In June and July 2025, my Department conducted a targeted consultation on the draft of this Bill. The legislation has benefited from the input of the CRU, Liquid Gas Ireland, Gas Networks Ireland, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Health and Safety Authority. The Bill will result in no additional costs to the Exchequer. The Electricity Regulation Act 1999 enables the statutory functions of the CRU to be funded through a levy to be paid each year by industry. I will now take Deputies through the Bill to outline the purpose of each of its 23 sections. Section 1 identifies the principal Act, the Electricity Regulation Act 1999. Section 2 amends the principal Act’s definitions of “LPG incident”, and inserts a definition of "natural gas incident", to include near-miss or precursor events. The definition of “LPG undertaking” is amended to capture previously unregulated third party LPG undertakings serving domestic customers. The definition of “LPG safety licence” is altered to include LPG safety licences issued heretofore as well as the new class 1 and class 2 safety licences provided for under section 9 of this Bill. This section also provides new definitions of terms giving effect to the transition to the new statutory safety regime. Section 3 grants the CRU powers to specify requirements for an emergency response service to be provided by classes of LPG suppliers to class 2 licensed networks. It also updates CRU functions to take any necessary and reasonable action in the public interest in relation to gas safety. Section 4 grants the CRU powers to make regulations relating to gas safety including requiring LPG undertakings to provide an emergency response service to LPG customers. Regulations will outline the obligations of smaller operators holding LPG safety licences, class 2 licences, to assist emergency responders and to develop and share emergency plans. Section 5 provides rules concerning the appointment of gas emergency officers by the CRU or by a licensed gas transmission system operator and provides that GEOs are to be suitably qualified persons with the necessary expertise and experience. The conditions for the use of GEO powers are clarified and provision is made for the reimbursement of reasonable costs and expenses for damages that may be caused in the execution of their duties as well as for an arbitration in case of dispute. GEOs are obliged to issue reports on their entry onto land via their powers. Section 6 provides rules concerning the appointment of GSOs who likewise must be suitably qualified persons with the necessary expertise and experience. The scope of a GSO’s power to enter into land or dwellings to investigate alleged contraventions of the principal Act, natural gas incidents, LPG incidents or other occurrences involving natural gas or LPG is more explicitly defined. GSOs are empowered to obtain a court warrant to enter onto land and into dwellings if required. GSOs are required to provide notice of any materials removed from or modifications made to land in pursuance of their powers and provision is made for the issuance of such a warrant by a judge of the District Court. Section 6 also provides that the use of GSO powers to enter and inspect land requires the GSO to hold the opinion that there is or may be an imminent risk of bodily harm, threat to life or damage to property. Provision is made for the reimbursement of reasonable costs for damages that may be caused by GSOs in the execution of their duties, as well as for arbitration in case of a dispute. Section 7 amends the circumstances in which the CRU may require an undertaking to submit an improvement plan, making reference to a failure to comply with safety cases, conditions of safety permits or a prescribed duty, requirement or obligation. Section 8 amends the circumstances in which the CRU may serve an undertaking with an improvement notice, making reference to failure to operate in accordance with the LPG or natural gas safety framework, safety cases, conditions of safety permits or a prescribed duty, requirement or obligation. The 21-day waiting period before the CRU may serve such a notice is removed. Section 9 distinguishes between two classes of LPG safety licence. An LPG safety licence, class 1, is required to make LPG available for ten or more piped distribution networks for use by individual domestic customers. An LPG safety licence, class 2, is required for fewer than ten such networks. Pre-existing LPG safety licences are deemed to be LPG safety licences, class 1. The section allows the CRU to require a person who has applied for a LPG safety licence, class 2, to apply for a class 1 LPG licence in the interest of safety on the basis of several technical grounds. Section 10 provides for an appeals process for disputes arising from the CRU’s decisions with respect to LPG safety licences, outlining the terms according to which the Minister may appoint an appeals officer. Section 11 enables the CRU to make regulations, including in respect of certain events in the definitions of "natural gas incident" and "LPG incident", and to make regulations on their reporting and investigation. This enables the definition, and the CRU regulations, to include "near-miss" or "precursor" incidents. Contravention of penal regulations in regard to these is an offence. Section 12 enables the Minister to designate activities to fall under the new statutory safety permit regime for natural gas undertakings and provides for a penalty for persons carrying out designated natural gas activities without a safety permit. It also requires the CRU to prepare guidelines for the preparation of safety cases, which natural gas undertakings are required to submit to receive a safety permit. Safety cases have a maximum review period of five years, except in the case of certain activities that the CRU decides can have longer review periods, if appropriate. A duty is placed on undertakings to conform with their safety cases, and penalties for the failure to do so are provided for in the legislation. The CRU will determine the form of a safety permit, may attach conditions to a safety permit and may refuse or revoke a safety permit subject to appeals procedures. Public access to accepted safety cases associated with safety permits is provided for. A transitional provision grandfathers safety cases for natural gas activities that currently exist under the administrative regime set out in the principal Act. Section 13 introduces a duty on natural gas undertakings to ensure that natural gas activities, and the design, construction, installation, maintenance, modification, operation and decommissioning of natural gas infrastructure, are carried out in such a way as to reduce risk to a level that is as low as reasonably possible. Section 14 provides rule- and regulation-making powers for safety cases pertaining to LPG undertakings. Section 15 concerns the obligations of holders of the new LPG safety licence, class 2. The CRU is given the power to make regulations prescribing duties, requirements or obligations with which the holders of such licences must comply. Contravention is a penal offence. The section also introduces a duty on LPG undertakings to ensure that LPG activity and the design, construction, installation, maintenance, modification, operation and decommissioning of LPG infrastructure are carried out in a way that reduces risk to a level that is as low as possible. Section 16 removes the 21-day waiting period before the CRU may serve a safety improvement notice on petroleum undertakings in order to reflect the practice with respect to natural gas and LPG undertakings. Section 17 extends the power of the CRU to make levy orders on energy or petroleum undertakings or holders of LPG safety licences to meet expenses arising from compensation for damage caused by GEOs in the pursuance of their duties. Sections 18 and 19 revoke regulations that will be made redundant by the passage of the Bill. Section 20 provides for the continuity of service of GEOs appointed by Gas Networks Ireland. Any existing GEOs appointed by LPG undertakings will have their appointments terminated to allow the CRU to now make these appointments. It provides for the continuity of service of GSOs appointed prior to the passage of the Bill. Section 22 provides for the continued validity of ongoing inspections and investigations by GSOs under section 9J of the principal Act.
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Excellent.
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Excellent. They are very welcome.
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They have come for the right debate.
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Absolutely. Deputy McGuinness is the Chair and can do as he wishes. They are all very welcome.
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Not at all.
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Is the Chair sure?
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Section 23 provides for the Bill's Short Title. It allows for the collective citation and construction of the Electricity Regulation Acts 1999 to 2026 and enables the Minister to commence the Bill by order. I look forward to working with Deputies to progress the Bill, which is relatively technical. The changes it makes will make crucial improvements to the safety regulation of natural gas and LPG for operators, consumers and, importantly, the public. It will modernise our safety regime and bring currently unregulated operators into the fold of the regulatory system. I commend it to the House.
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It was not debated before.
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Sorry, this is the-----
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