Acquisition

DCC PLC
11 February 2002

                               

                    DCC EXPANDS HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS

DCC plc, the Business Support Services Group, announces the expansion of its
healthcare distribution operations in Ireland through the acquisition of 75%
of TechnoPharm Limited ('TechnoPharm'), with put and call options in place to
acquire the remaining 25%.

TechnoPharm is a rapidly growing value added distributor of specialist
pharmaceuticals and medical devices, primarily to hospitals in Ireland.  The
Dublin-based company, founded in 1992 by its Managing Director, Andrew
O'Connell, has experienced strong growth over the last number of years and is
expected to generate operating profits of approximately EUR 2 million in its
current financial year to 30 September 2002.

DCC is paying EUR 8.3 million for 75% of TechnoPharm.  This initial
consideration is a mixture of cash of EUR 7.9 million and DCC shares to the
value of EUR 0.4 million through the re-issue of 35,633 treasury shares at EUR
11.35 per share.  Put and call options are in place to acquire the remaining
25% in three equal tranches over the three years ending 30 September 2004,
based on a P/E of 7.75 and subject to a maximum consideration of EUR 8.9
million.  The maximum potential consideration for the transaction is therefore
EUR 17.2 million in total.

TechnoPharm will be an operating subsidiary of Fannin Healthcare, the market
leader in the distribution of hospital, medical and laboratory supplies in
Ireland.  The acquisition of  TechnoPharm represents a significant broadening
of DCC's hospital supply operations into the distribution of specialist
pharmaceuticals.  Andrew O'Connell, together with Sales and Marketing
Director, Paul Burrell, will continue to drive the company forward and will
make a significant contribution to the development of DCC's hospital supply
business.

Jim Flavin, Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman of DCC, said today:

'TechnoPharm is an excellent bolt-on acquisition in a growth segment of the
healthcare market.  The management team is highly skilled and experienced in
the specialist pharmaceuticals segment and the company offers new growth
opportunities for DCC's hospital supply business, which has developed well
since the acquisition and integration of BM Browne with Fannin Healthcare in
1998.

This is DCC's sixth, synergistic, bolt on acquisition in the current financial
year.  I am confident that individually each will be shareholder value
enhancing and that collectively they will be significantly so in the future.'

For further information, please contact:

Morgan Crowe, Managing Director, DCC Healthcare
Niall Ennis, Finance Director, DCC Healthcare
Conor Costigan, Investor Relations Manager, DCC plc

Tel:   [phone]

Email: [e-mail]
For further information on DCC: www.dcc.ie


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