Sinn Féin's junior spokesperson on Energy, Louis O’Hara TD, has urged the Minister for Climate, Energy and Environment, Darragh O’Brien TD, to clarify how the planned Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve Unit will be funded.

His intervention follows Gas Networks Ireland's decision to select Cahiracon, on the Shannon Estuary in Co Clare, as the site for Ireland’s new reserve facility.

At a session of the Oireachtas Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery, representatives of Gas Networks Ireland declined to specify the funding model for the project.

During the exchange, Teachta O'Hara said: @On the cost [of the unit], do we have any indication of whether that will be covered through Exchequer funding or recovered through household bills?

"Given rising costs particularly in terms of energy it would place a significant burden on households if this cost was added onto their bills."

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Responding, Gas Networks Ireland Chief Operations Officer, Bobby Gleeson, said: "The costing around the project is quite commercially sensitive because putting a price out into the public domain can give almost a guide to the market of the ceiling of cost that they could be bidding so my preference would be not to speak about cost at this time.

"The Department of Climate, Energy and Environment have set up a working group with us, with the CRU and with other stakeholders and we will be considering that question during 2026."

Reacting to the exchange, Teachta O'Hara said: "At a time when household electricity and gas bills are continuing to rise it is worrying to see the Government and Gas Networks Ireland announce plans to deliver this reserve unit without any clarity on its cost or whether it will put additional costs on household bills.

"I understand the purpose of this project however the Minister needs to be transparent with how this project will impact domestic gas customer bills.

"The Ikloo project in Helsinki, Finland, which is of a similar scale to GNI’s announcement, cost upwards of €460 million over ten years.

"This is a significant cost that could be levied on gas customers and could be yet another factor increasing gas bills for households.

"The Minister needs to provide clarity on how this cost will be met and to be upfront with gas customers as to whether it will impact the cost to heat and run their homes and businesses."