Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

199. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the fees and costs paid to a company (details supplied) for its report on the impact of the Mercosur trade deal on Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4587/22]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On 2 December 2019, a request for tender for an Economic and Sustainability Impact Assessment of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement was published by my Department. The tender was placed on the Ireland e-tenders website and the Official Journal of the European Union.

The tender specified that the budget for the contract, including all costs, would not exceed EUR 200,000 plus VAT for its total duration and the contract award criteria included scoring the most economically advantageous tender. Five tenders were received and Implement Consulting were selected by a Steering Committee comprising representatives of my Department together with a representative of the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine and the contract was signed by the Consultants on 7 April 2020. The total cost of the contract was €199,500 plus VAT in line with the bid received by Implement Consulting. 

The final report was published on my Department's website on 21 July 2021 after the Report was noted by Government.