Private Research, publisher of Private Research and Irish Stock Market annual, has made a cash offer of £600,000 "for certain assets" of the Irish Trade Protection Association (ITPA). The offer comes just before an extraordinary general meeting at which the members of ITPA will be asked to approved the sale of the group to British credit agency, Experian, for £480,000.

A spokesman for the ITPA told The Irish Times "we have already sold the business" to Experian and that agreement is subject to 75 per cent of the members agreeing to the deal. The ITPA is obliged to put the resolution to its members proposing the sale of the company to Experian. The spokesman stressed he was not in a position to discuss any counter offers. However, if the members turn down the deal with Experian, the ITPA will then be in a position to consider any other offers. Private Research, controlled by Mr John O'Neill, said it was "offering to grow this household name in credit referencing and debt collection, and develop the synergies that are obvious between both businesses". It said it was confident that the interests of ITPA's clients would best be served by remaining in Irish ownership. The ITPA has also received an offer from rival, Dun & Bradstreet, publisher of Stubbs.

However, the majority of the ITPA board is pressing its members to accept the Experian offer despite opposition from its president, Mr Paul Mackay, who obtained a temporary order stopping the original e.g.m.

He said the ITPA's 2,300 members had not been fully informed of other offers from interested parties.

That meeting has now been reconvened for next Monday.

Interface Business Systems has also expressed an interest in the ITPA as has ISME, the small firms' lobby group.