Vol. 500 No. 4
123 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her Department has seen the benchmark study being carried out by ESRI for Enterprise Ireland and An Bord Bia concerning the first year of operation of a company (details supplied); if she will make any information from this benchmark study public; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4333/99]
A copy of the study has been received by my Department in the last few days. The study is part of a process voluntarily proposed and entered into by Tesco to review on an independent basis the commitments given by them to increase the value of purchasing from Irish companies. An examination of the report is being undertaken by my Department which will involve consultations and discussions with An Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Tesco. The examination will assess the progress made against the original bench-marking exercise and a statement outlining the situation will be issued. The study contains information which is commercially sensitive and it is not open to my Department to make the study itself publicly available.
