Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 7 May 2015

Public Accounts Committee

2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Chapter 8 - Operation of the Emergency Call Answering Service

10:00 am

Photo of John PerryJohn Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have two final questions. It was reported in The Irish Timeson 17 April that CDM Smith, the lead company employed to carry out a study of fracking in Ireland, was pro-fracking and involved in the use of the controversial gas extraction method in the United States and Poland. This issue has been raised locally.

Given that a pro-fracking consultant carried out the report, did the Department consider the question of that consultant's impartiality in advance of awarding the contract? It is quite extraordinary.