Kerry County Council has responded to reports that it received over €4 million from Shannon LNG since 2009.
Planning permission was first granted 16 years ago for the proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on the Tarbert Ballylongford landbank.
US natural gas company, New Fortress Energy, acquired Shannon LNG in 2018.
The original backers, Hess Corporation, sold their investment in 2016 following delays relating to regulatory, planning and funding issues.
An Bórd Pleanála will decide on the planning application for the development
Details of the payments were released to the group Safety Before LNG, which is opposed to the LNG terminal, under a freedom of information request.
€1.65 million was paid to Kerry County Council in two payments in 2009 when Hess Corporation owned the project.
According to the information received by Safety Before LNG, Shannon LNG – now under the control of New Fortress Energy – gave more than €2.4 million (€2,453,625) to Kerry County Council between February 2020 and August 2021.
Kerry County Council says works that it carried out as a road authority in these instances are not connected to, and are independent to, the outcome of any planning application before An Bord Pleanála in respect of the proposed LNG terminal.
It says the works on L1010 road in Tarbert had been carried out as part of a planning condition for an LNG plant in 2008 and a subsequent planning condition linked to a 2013 planning approval for the purposes of a combined heat and power plant which was granted by An Bord Pleanála.
The council says both planning applications were granted by An Bord Pleanála under the Strategic Infrastructure Development Act and therefore the local authority had no role in the decision-making process.
It says the monies it received for the road improvement works referenced in the 2008 and 2013 planning conditions are non-refundable and have been fully spent on the project.
Safety Before LNG says the council needs to explain why it accepted over 2.4 million from Shannon LNG after planning permission had expired for the proposed terminal in 2018 and before a new planning application was lodged last year.
It says the council needs to state why the latest draft county development plan supports a gas importation facility on the landbank when this is against government policy.
