Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 9 October 2014

Public Accounts Committee

2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
2013 Annual Accounts of Údarás na Gaeltachta

10:45 am

Mr. Séamus Mac Eochaidh:

Yes. In January 2012 we approached the board of Údarás. The project went before the board of Údarás 12 times in a two year period. This was not an isolated process that was being conducted by the executive. Owing to the sensitivity of the project, it officially went before the board 12 times. There would have been verbal presentations also. In January 2012 we recommended to the board of Údarás that Setalg be given preferred bidder status. This was approved by the board and Setalg embarked on preferred bidder status. It was to take three months, but Setalg asked for an extension. Finally, in approximately five months it completed its due diligence of Arramara Teoranta and we decided to conduct formal due diligence of Setalg as a purchaser because this was a State asset. About two weeks later Setalg which is owned by the Roullier Group, a big group in France, stated it had ceased all mergers and acquisitions and pulled out at that point.