Consultancy firm paid €212,873 for report on oil and gas fiscal system

The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources paid €212,873 to consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie to examine the "fitness for purpose" of Ireland’s oil and gas fiscal system.

The spend works out at more than €2,100 per page for the 100-page report delivered at the end of May.

The report was published on June 18 last and former minister for communications, energy and natural resources Pat Rabbitte told Deputy Michael Colreavy in a written Dáil question that in the report by Wood Mackenzie, the consultants “provided their analysis in what I would consider to be a comprehensive, detailed and accessible manner”.