Investigation into odourless gas has to be carried out without delay – Ring

Minister for Rural and Community Development and Mayo TD, Michael Ring, has called for the investigation into how non-odourised gas was introduced into a gas network to be carried out immediately.

The Fine Gael Minister has welcomed the announcement by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) that a full investigation will take place into how non-odourised gas was introduced into the gas network in Mayo and Galway.

“I welcome this investigation and I call for it to be commenced without delay. People in Mayo and Galway deserve an explanation of how this was allowed to happen and of the actions to be taken to ensure it cannot happen again,” Minister Ring said.

“This investigation should be carried out and its findings communicated as a matter of priority. People in Mayo and Galway require certainty that the gas entering their homes every day is safe to use.

“From the situation reports I have been receiving from the Gas Emergency Response Team (GERT) it is expected that the network will back to normal this weekend. Obviously the immediate priority is the resumption of supply to the 10,000 customers in Mayo and Galway in a safe manner.

“Once this has been achieved the focus needs to shift to identifying the cause of the problem and taking measures to ensure it does not recur and communicating the findings to the public,” Minister Ring said.