There is much public interest in the extension of the natural gas pipelines to all parts of the country, including the smaller provincial towns. Gas provision for small towns is very important for their future development. I refer to two Bills which are related, No. 71 and No. 72, the common arrangements for gas Bill and the Eirgrid Bill, to establish Eirgrid outside of the honey-pot regions and to amend the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 to allow for arrangements to be put in place to facilitate an all-Ireland gas market.

I am not sure where the honey-pot regions to which Deputy Bannon refers are located. The common arrangements for gas Bill is no longer being progressed because it has been superseded by the European Union internal market agenda third package and associated EU gas networks codes. Therefore, the Bill is not proceeding any further.