Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

We included in Appendix C the cost information at the time that the pilots were planned. Basically, it states that the pilots will cost an average of approximately €1 million for studies undertaken by contracted services and €500,000 for studies undertaken in-house, so it is a single figure. The point I am making around a detailed budget is this. How is one going to spend €500,000 or how is one going to spend €1 million? What are the things that make up the €1 million? By taking apart a figure like that and saying, "We will spend so much on this aspect of it and so much on the other aspect", one can look at one's experience and say, "Well, that looks reasonable and those are the kind of rates that we would be expecting to pay." If you like, one identifies where one expects to spend that money.

This is as much as was available for the initial kick-off. The pilots got going on the basis that they would cost €1 million or they will cost €500,000, depending on the way we structure it. The point I was making in the recommendation was one should not be getting into projects with a budget as lacking in detail as that. It needs something more.