Ms Michele Connolly:

The original tender documents that were designed set out criteria against which the consortium, as it was when it started, was going to be assessed. Each change along the way has been assessed by reference to the original criteria to ensure the company, Granahan McCourt Dublin (Ireland) Limited, which is the entity with which we are now in discussions, still has the financial strength and technical capability to undertake this project. It is always open to a bidder for any project, infrastructure or otherwise, to rely on the support of other entities to deliver its obligations under a contract. That is standard and it is what our procurement process was designed to allow. What is relevant and particularly important is that each time somebody seeks to make a change it is properly evaluated and assessed to ensure the entity at the table still has the financial strength and technical capability that are required in the course of this project.