Natural gas escape in Mayo and Galway homes

The first reaction to the news that odourless gas was pumped into homes in Mayo and Galway must be relief that nobody was injured as a consequence. 

The gas reached the domestic system without a marker scent being applied — without it, the gas cannot be identified by consumers and a leak might have had dire consequences.

A review of procedures to establish how this happened is already under way. Hopefully it will be completed quickly and its conclusions published immediately.