Bord Gais has ruled out a proposal from the Council for the West to build a pipeline to the north-west which would connect with the Corrib gas find.
It said it would instead go ahead with plans to take the line directly from Dublin to Galway.
At a meeting in Knock yesterday, the Council for the West argued it would cost u£40 million for Bord Gais to change its plans and build "a full national ring main".
Dr Seamus Caulfield, a council member, argued that Bord Gais had taken the decision before it was confirmed that gas would be brought ashore from the Corrib field. Now that a pipeline is to be built from Pollatomish in Co Mayo to Craughwell in Co Galway, he said the pipeline should go from Dublin to Sligo and on to Crossmolina to link into the Pollatomish/Craughwell line. This would require just 40 more miles of pipeline and cost about u£40 million.
"This line, which would be a true national ring main as opposed to the southern ring main they want to build to Galway, would serve most of the Border, midlands and western region," Dr Caulfied said.
Instead of taking the line through Athlone, spurs could take the gas to towns between Kinnegad and Galway, he added.
At a meeting where most speakers expressed anger that Cos Mayo, Sligo and Donegal would get no benefit from the Corrib gas find, there was applause when Dr Caulfield said he was surprised to hear the Bord Gais representative talking about "bringing" gas to the west.
"It is quite clear that what we are talking about here is taking gas out of the west of Ireland," he said.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Jack O'Connell of Bord Gais told The Irish Times the proposal could not be accepted. He said Bord Gais would have a supply problem by October 2002 and the Dublin/Galway line, which would serve a large population, was chosen "to reinforce supply to the south of the country". He said this was the only viable option.
"There would be a large deficit between the two options. Given the deadline of 2002 to secure the supply, it would not be possible to drop the Dublin/Galway ring main at this time," said Mr O'Connell, manager of business planning at Bord Gais.
He said the possibility of putting in spurs to other areas such as Mayo and Sligo would be considered later.
"Who is to know what the gas infrastructure will be ultimately, but for 2002, this ring main is the way to overcome our difficulties," he said.
There was also debate at the meeting about the 1992 fiscal conditions accorded exploration companies. Mr Padraig Campbell of SIPTU said the "family silver is being flogged for nothing".