The European Union (EU) is warning that gas prices in Ireland could increase if Russia cuts off the supply to Ukraine.

The European Commission has told the government that prices could surge if the Russian dispute with Ukraine continues.

It is recommending that governments do more to pool their gas supplies to minimise the effects of a disruption to supply.

However the EU says there should be no shortage of gas in Ireland, even if Russia cuts its supply - as Ireland does not import Russian gas.

The information came in a document from the Commission to the European Parliament and Council on its findings and recommendations arising from stress tests.

These were carried out during the summer to test the impact of gas supply disruption scenarios from Russia and Ukraine.

The scenario examined what would happen if the supply was disrupted for six months this winter - from September 2014 to February 2015 - under average winter conditions, with a two week cold spell in February.

The document finds "that the gas flow to Ireland, under this supply disruption scenario, is likely to remain unaffected as Ireland is not dependent on Russian gas. However, it does note that the price of gas is likely to increase should such a disruption occur."

Instead, it says that the countries that are likely to be affected are to the south east of the EU, the Baltic States and Finland - and neighbouring countries dependent on Russian or Ukrainian gas.