asked the Minister for Local Government the Minister who will represent Ireland on the proposed Council of Environment Ministers of the European Community.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Environment Ministers' Council.
16.
It is expected that a council meeting of Ministers to deal with environment matters may be arranged for 21st May. If the arrangements are agreed, I shall be acting as chairman on that occasion, and my Parliamentary Secretary will act as my deputy in the national representation.
Might I say that I put this question down to the Taoiseach and I took issue with you, a Cheann Comhairle, because it was transferred to the Minister for Local Government? I have realised since that it is not a matter for the Chair whether these questions are transferred, that it can be done without reference to the Chair. Therefore, I should like to withdraw any suggestion I made yesterday. Having said that, I would like to ask the Minister whether he would feel competent— I do not mean in his personal capacity but in his corporate capacity—to preside over Councils of Ministers of the Environment in so far as he is not in any real sense a Minister of the Environment himself? Could I ask him also, if the European Community now see fit to have within the structure of the Community a Council of Ministers dealing with the environment, if there is any possibility that this Government now would recognise that what is urgent in Europe is even more urgent in Ireland? If the Minister hears from his colleagues of the priceless asset we have in Ireland in our environment and the need to conserve and protect it, will he be influenced in recommending to the Taoiseach, to whom I put down this question, a separate Minister and Department of the Environment?
First of all, Deputy O'Kennedy can be assured, since I am responsible for the environment I am interested in it and I have no doubt whatever how I will deal with the matters which will come up for discussion at the meeting. When the previous Government were in office we had certain Ministers who took responsibility for doing things, about which they knew nothing whatever, but we accepted they were Ministers and that was that.
I will preface what I have to say by saying I was not commenting on the individual capacity of the Minister and I am sorry he has seen fit to reply in that vein. I put this question down not in the light of my own concern but of the concern of many people in the community. The Minister has said he is responsible for the environment. Does he not recognise that there are many other Ministers in the Government at present who, willy nilly, deal with aspects of our environmental protection? For instance, what authority has the Minister with regard to the direction of industrial development in certain areas which will be consistent with good environmental planning?
I am afraid we cannot debate the matter, Deputy O'Kennedy. Brief supplementaries, please.
Now that Deputy O'Kennedy is in Opposition he wants to direct how the Government will deal with their own business internationally as well as nationally.
No.
If the Fianna Fáil Government when in office had been as careful about selecting their Ministers to represent them we would not have had some of the troubles we have had.
The Minister is still making personal implications and I will not be tempted into making the same kind of response. Does the Minister not recognise that while two years ago the Government inherited mainly the structures of the previous Government, it is certainly urgently necessary now for them to do what a Fianna Fáil Government would do if they were in office, that is to have a separate Department of the Environment?
That is not the subject matter of the question.
They were in office for 16 years and they did nothing about it.
Question No. 17.
Could I have any indication from the Minister on the matter of a separate Department?
Deputy Blaney, the Chair has ruled that is not the subject matter of this question at all.
I am merely referring to what the Minister indicated in reply to the question. Would he bear in mind what he briefly touched on, that in any consideration of any special ministry or agency to deal with the environment all the other Departments that have their little edge in on this and who have resisted planning over the years should be brought to book and brought into conformity with what would be an overall planning concept rather than doing it piecemeal?
The Chair has called Question No. 17.