Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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31. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there is a conflict of interest by a study by a company (details supplied) into hydraulic fracturing on behalf of Environmental Protection Agency. [16292/15]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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I would like to clarify in the first instance that the multi-agency trans-boundary programme of research on the potential impacts on the environment and human health from Unconventional Gas Exploration & Extraction projects/operations has been commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 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 usual in major and broad range projects such as this, the project team involves a range of expert institutions and companies and while CDM Smith is the lead consultant in the consortium engaged to carry out the programme of research, the project will be informed by the expert input of all of the participating bodies. The contract for this 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. The contract award procedure chosen for this competition was by open procedure. Six tenders were received. The evaluation panel was constituted to include personnel with the capacity to make informed decisions on the tenders received and the constitution of the evaluation panel was approved by the project Steering Committee.

The research programme is broad in its scope, covering several environmental parameters as well as operational practice and regulatory approaches around the world. CDM Smith is leading a consortium of organisations which are tasked with delivering the detailed objectives and technical aspects of this research programme. The consortium comprises CDM Smith, 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.

One of the key requirements of the tender process was evidence of expertise in the field. The evaluation panel found that in this regard, that the tender led by CDM Smith provided an excellent response. The overall resourcing of the proposal was considered excellent with excellent legal expertise, a strong and experienced hydrogeological team, an excellent peer-review group proposed with high credibility in addition to a seismology team which was considered to be outstanding. Work undertaken by the consortium is reviewed by the members funding the programme and external experts appointed by them.