Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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121. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the recent Leitrim County Council vote of no confidence in a company (details supplied) appointed to carry out a 24-month research programme looking at the potential impacts on the environment and human health of hydraulic fracturing. [22991/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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I have received no communication from Leitrim County Council in the matter referred to.

As for 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 from Unconventional Gas Exploration and Extraction projects, I would like to comment as follows. 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 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 that 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 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.

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 advices to State bodies and regulatory agencies across its area of expertise.

As I am sure 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.