Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the Deputy's consistent approach to this matter which he is keeping live. I also acknowledge the work done by him and his constituency colleagues, Deputy Tony McLoughlin and Senator Michael Comiskey, who have had regular meetings with me to discuss this important matter.

No doubt we will get into the Deputy's last question in a supplementary reply, but, first, I wish to respond to his initial question. I understand the contract for the unconventional gas exploration and extraction research programme was awarded following a robust evaluation process. The evaluation panel included personnel with the capacity to make informed decisions on the six tenders received. The constitution of the evaluation panel was approved by a broadly-based steering committee.

The evaluation panel found that the tender led by CDM Smith Ireland Limited provided the best response and a contract was awarded to the consortium in August 2014. The consortium includes commercial consultancies, academics, a geological research institution and a legal firm, each offering a particular specialism required by the project's scope, as was detailed in the terms of reference.

The project team was expected to include members with a comprehensive understanding of geology and hydrology, as well as an in-depth knowledge of a range of legal, environmental, health, socio-economic and technical issues, with a knowledge of mineral and fossil fuels.

I am aware that there has been some comment on the fact that, internationally, CDM Smith has provided expert advice for oil companies involved in the development of unconventional gas resources. I should point out that it has also provided advice for State bodies and regulatory agencies across its area of expertise. As I am sure the Deputy will appreciate, it is common for a broad range of parties to 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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