Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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612. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources how much has been spent to date on the study commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency on the environmental impact of unconventional gas exploration and extraction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44077/15]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is co-ordinating the Joint Research Programme into the potential environmental impacts of Unconventional Gas Exploration & Extraction (UGEE), the research programme is being co-funded by the EPA, my own Department and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). The costs of the first phase of the Joint Research Programme were estimated at just over €1m. The three commissioning bodies committed approximately €1.25m in funding to the research project. While my own Department has committed €0.5m to the project, these funds have not been paid out as yet.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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613. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will suspend the study commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency on the environmental impact of unconventional gas exploration and extraction, given the concerns raised in relation to the potential conflicts of interests of the lead consultants in the assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44078/15]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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I assume that the focus of the Deputy’s question is recent public comment relating to the role of the lead consultant in the multi-agency trans-boundary programme of research on the potential impacts on the environment and human health from Unconventional Gas Exploration and Extraction projects. This research programme is administered 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, AMEC Foster Wheeler and Phillip Lee Solicitors, each offering a particular specialism required by the project scope.

I understand that 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 comment on the fact that internationally CDM Smith has provided expert advice to oil companies involved in the development of unconventional gas resources. I should point out that 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.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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614. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is aware that Queen’s University Belfast has confirmed it is not involved in the study commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency on the environmental impact of unconventional gas exploration and extraction; the date upon which he became aware of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44079/15]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, staff from Queens University Belfast were intended to contribute to the Unconventional Gas Exploration and Extraction (UGEE) Joint Research Programme (JRP) Project A1 (Groundwater, Surface Water & Associated Ecosystems). Specifically,

- Three researchers in the Queens University Belfast Groundwater Group were proposed to work on a number of Project A1 tasks (leading tasks 2 & 7 and supporting other tasks); and

- A full time Queens University Belfast academic was nominated as part of the technical review team (internal review process carried out by a Consortium comprising of CDM Smith, the British Geological Survey, University College Dublin, Ulster University, AMEC Foster Wheeler and Phillip Lee Solicitors, before submission to the UGEE JRP Steering Committee) for Project A1.

Upon appointment, Queens University Belfast decided that the three researchers would not be able to fulfil their agreed responsibilities on project A1. However, a full time academic from Queens University Belfast has undertaken a review role in full on Project A1 as proposed in the tender.

While an internal review process is carried out by the Consortium as a Quality Control process before submission of any interim/final deliverables of the UGEE JRP, all outputs are reviewed by a Technical Review Group which includes the UGEE JRP Steering Committee and other external experts such as the Environmental Protection Agency; the Geological Survey of Ireland; An Bord Pleanála; Northern Ireland Environment Agency; ETH Zürich and University College Cork. The Technical Review Group process is fully independent of the internal quality control process put in place by the Consortium.