Vol. 429 No. 3
1 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Taoiseach if he has received the Report of the Green 2000 Advisory Group, commissioned by his predecessor; if the report will be published and made available to Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas and to the public; if the Government accepts the recommendations of the report and intends to implement them; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I received and launched the Report of the Green 2000 Advisory Group on Friday, 26 March. I very much appreciate the commitment and hard work of the members of the group who so generously gave of their time and expertise to the consideration of the key issues facing our natural environment.
The Programme for Government has already made clear the commitment of the Government to the protection and enhancement of the environment. The programme spells out how this will be achieved. Action is already under way in the various areas identified in the programme. In particular, as stated in the programme, the new EC Cohesion Fund will finance an accelerated programme of investment in environmental infrastructure, relating to water, sewage treatment and solid waste disposal.
I am satisfied that action, linked to the implementation of the Programme for Government, on the 15 general and 137 specific recommendations made by the Green 2000 Group will constitute a major contribution to the improvement of the environment in this country. In recognition of this key contribution, I have asked the Minister for the Environment to agree on an agenda with the relevant Ministers to promote greater integration of environmental considerations into their policy areas. I have asked the Minister to report back to the Government on the initiative later this year.
I will take a specific personal interest in progressing the Green 2000 Group's recommendations, in particular those that relate to energy utilisation policy where I believe there are major advances to be gained through a positive integration of energy and environmental policies. I have in mind in particular the development of more extensive use of peat for electricity generation and of environmentally friendly energy sources such as small hydro-electric stations, wave energy, and wind power. In addition to their benefits to the environment these will generate much needed additional employment here in Ireland.
Copies of the Green 2000 Report were laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on 2 April. Copies were available for sale to the public through the Government Publications Sales Office on Friday, 26 March.
Can I take it that the Taoiseach is telling the House, presumably in an indirect way, that he is accepting the 137 recommendations of this report? If that is the case, is he proposing to introduce legislation to provide statutory protection for areas of scientific interest, for the protection of national parks and requiring tourism-related developments, such as interpretative centres, to go through the planning process?
The Deputy is wandering somewhat. Let me repeat what I have already said. The 15 general and 137 specific recommendations will quite clearly make a major contribution to improving the environment. Towards this purpose I have asked the Minister for the Environment to prepare an action programme in consultation with all other Departments to ensure that environmental policy forms part of the evaluation of every policy that comes forward and report back to the Government on that issue before the end of this year.
I did not wander. I asked the Taoiseach specific questions about specific recommendations in this report, and I will ask him again. Part of the recommendations is that various pieces of legislation be introduced. Both public and private tourism-related developments should be made amenable to the planning laws, for example, interpretative centres. Does the Taoiseach propose to introduce legislation in relation to that?
The Deputy is repeating himself.
The Taoiseach does not appear to have heard my question.
Repetition is a luxury we cannot afford at Question Time.
A Cheann Comhairle, presumably the purpose of Question Time is to elicit information and that is what I am trying to do. Does the Taoiseach intend to introduce legislation — specifically recommended in this report — for the protection of areas of scientific interest to give statutory protection to national parks?
Here we are having clear repetition.
It is clear repetition. The Deputy is well aware that this matter is before the Supreme Court for decision and consequently no action will be taken in any area in that respect until the Supreme Court has adjudicated and the Government has had an opportunity to consider whatever decision they make.
Would the Taoiseach agree to have a debate in the House on the Green 2000 report and will he agree to give status to it by opening the debate himself?
I certainly have no objection to having a debate on the environment and on the Green 2000 report. I will leave it to the Whips to have a discussion on it.
Is it the case that the Taoiseach received a copy of this report last October and, if so, why did it take six months before it was published? Does the Taoiseach still have an environment adviser and does he agree that asking the Minister for the Environment to liaise with his colleagues, despite the Minister's obvious commitment to the environment, is asking him to perform an impossible task and that it would be better if all Government plans and programmes were subjected to an environmental impact assessment?
In relation to the latter part of the Deputy's question, I have already said that it is the intention of the Government that all environmental aspects of all new policy will be evaluated in that regard. There were some distractions in October, November and December that probably did not lend themselves to consideration of a report of this size. On the second part of the Deputy's question, the answer is yes.
The Taoiseach was making wave power himself.
In the Taoiseach's reply he indicated that the recommendations of the report would lead to a major improvement in the environment. Will he agree that those recommendations will have an impact only if implemented? On that basis will he assure the House that the legislative proposals contained in the report will be implemented by the Government?
This year the introduction of the Cohesion Funds will provide the largest ever investment, in the time of any Government, in the battle against coastal erosion and coastal and inland pollution and this investment will have a beneficial impact on the environment. Between now and the end of the decade the investment of Cohesion Funds will result in a major improvement in the whole environmental area, which is what the people want. Other aspects of the environmental issue and of the report itself can give rise to a new policy direction in certain respects, which can lead to an opportunity for new job creation. The Deputy can be sure that the Government will be very active in pursuing the objectives set out in the advisory report.
Who is the Taoiseach's environmental adviser?
Dr. David Cabot.
