An Bord GAIS has confirmed that it will have a gas pipeline between Dublin and Galway in place to meet the requirements of Enterprise Oil if the company decides to pipe gas from the Corrib field, about 50 miles off the coast of Co Mayo, into Galway on its way to the east coast.
The new general manager of Enterprise Oil, Mr Brian O Cathain, has said that his company is determined to have gas from the Corrib field distributed in Dublin by January 2003.
The route the pipeline will take to Dublin from Pollathomas, on the Erris coastline of Co Mayo, has yet to be decided.
"Two options are still being considered," Mr O Cathain said. "One is to run a direct pipeline from Mayo through north Roscommon, Westmeath and on to Dublin. The other is to build a pipeline down through Co Mayo and into Galway. At Galway, Enterprise Oil would connect up with Bord Gais's east-west pipeline."
Mr Gerry Breen, director of transmission with Bord Gais, has said that the east-west pipeline to Galway would be completed by the end of 2002, although construction of it has not yet begun.
"A gas pipeline can be built very quickly once the preliminary work and planning is completed", Mr Breen said.
"The gas pipeline to Galway will facilitate spur lines to other towns in the west. Bord Gais have responsibility for the national gas grid, and until now we have been unable to provide any natural gas services in the west or north-west of the country. The new gas pipeline, when it is in place, should begin to rectify this problem."