Mr. Dara Lynott:

Its role is to ensure we are abiding by all the laws regarding procurement. It has no actual role in terms of the project itself, so it does not advise on the scope of work but on when one should tender, how long one should leave the tender out there, how one should evaluate the tenders in terms of length of time, how one should inform people who are successful or unsuccessful and how one should communicate all that kind of technical detail. I think I have answered most of those questions. There were two or three questions on Achilles Procurement.

Local authorities develop regional and local planning guidelines. Within those guidelines, they obviously have a role because anyone seeking planning permission must abide by regional and national planning guidance. I am not a planning expert so I am not sure whether a project like this would go to a local authority first and then An Bord Pleanála, or whether it would be seen as a strategic piece of infrastructure and go straight to An Bord Pleanála. I really do not have any expertise in that area.

As regards this research, there is no fracking contained in it. No fracking activity will happen until this research is concluded and there is no guarantee that any fracking will ever happen in Ireland following on from this research. In terms of an independent review prior to a decision on fracking, this research is on a parallel track in that it will go through its own peer review as all our research does. It will stand on its own two feet. As I said earlier, in terms of science, once it is out there it will be up to anyone to form an opinion on whether it got it right or wrong and whether it is biased or unbiased. At the moment, however, none of that information is out.