Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question which relates to a motion passed by Leitrim County Council. While I have received communication from the county council, as outlined in the Deputy's question, I would comment as follows on the appointment of CDM Smith and the involvement of that company in the multi-agency trans-boundary programme of research commissioned by the EPA on the potential impacts on the environment and human health of unconventional gas exploration and extraction projects.

The programme is managed by the EPA and co-funded by the EPA, my Department and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, with oversight from a broad-based steering committee that includes my Department.

As is normal in major and broad-ranging projects such as this, the project team involves a wide range of expert institutions and companies. CDM Smith is the lead consultant in the consortium engaged to carry out the programme of research, and the consortium includes the British Geological Survey, University College Dublin, Ulster University, Queens University Belfast, Amec Foster Wheeler and Philip Lee solicitors, each offering a particular specialism required by the project scope. The contract for the programme of research was awarded following a robust evaluation process in compliance with public procurement guidelines, where the tender submitted by the CDM Smith headed consortium was evaluated as being the strongest bid.

I am aware that there has been some recent focus on the fact that CDM Smith has provided expert advice to oil companies involved in the development of unconventional gas resources. CDM Smith has also provided advice to State bodies and regulatory agencies across its area of expertise. As the Deputy will appreciate, it is common that a broad range of parties will seek to draw on the specialist expertise available from a firm such as CDM Smith. The fact that disparate entities seek to draw on such expertise is generally seen as an indicator of a company's recognised experience.

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