Alan Kelly, the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport, has announced that the prospect of Nenagh becoming connected to the Natural Gas Network is within touching distance.

In a statement Mr Kelly, TD, said: "I have been working on bringing gas to Nenagh since I first became a minister in this government in March last year. It was my number one project for the town as I know how important it is for its future. Gas provision would create a huge competitive advantage for Nenagh. Energy consumption and the cost of oil and other energy sources are now one of the largest, if not the largest cost concerns for businesses and employers in Nenagh. Oil has become hugely expensive and its price is constantly fluctuating. Getting gas into Nenagh will protect jobs, create many more and bring inward investment. It is estimated that natural gas will save Nenagh business and public buildings/schools in the range of €20 to €30 million in energy costs in the first five years.

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"Nenagh is a great town. It has a well-educated, ready-made work force. It is centrally-located, near Limerick and Shannon and located just off the M7 motorway. It is a great place to live with its proximity to the lake and all its related activities. The one major piece of infrastructure that it was missing was a cheaper and more consistent source of energy. In Ireland that is natural gas. Towns that have natural gas have a competitive advantage for their business and can attract inward investment. Clonmel is a prime example of this. It has grown enormously with the provision of gas with huge inward investment in the pharmaceutical industry in particular. Gas will be important not just for businesses in Nenagh, but also for domestic consumers who will have a chance to connect following on from the major businesses and save significantly on energy bills."

Mr Kelly also explained that following a number of meetings with Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte and his officials that the Minister of State then convened a number of meetings with Arrabawn Co-op and its chief executive Conor Ryan who have a key requirement for gas in order to grow and expand their operation in Nenagh. Subsequently Alan Kelly met with Gaslink (an independent subsidiary of Bord Gais responsible for selecting and connecting new towns to the Gas network).

Mr Kelly also discussed the matter with North Tipperary County Council manager Joe McGrath who has been centrally involved in the process along with Nenagh Town Manager Marcus O'Connor and their staff.

(CD/GK)