Vol. 486 No. 3
62 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the action, if any, taken by his Department to date to implement the national sustainable development strategy; the mechanism, if any, he has put in place to monitor progress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2451/98]
Sustainable Development: A Strategy for Ireland recognised the need to facilitate participation in the achievement of sustainable development. In January 1998, my Department published a consultation paper on proposed structures and terms of reference for the national environment partnership forum. Establishment of the forum is a key commitment in the Government programme, An Action Programme for the Millennium, to obtain maximum participation and consultation in environmental policy for all those interested in or affecting the environment. I intend that the forum will be influential in advancing the national agenda for sustainable development and will incorporate the role previously envisaged in the national strategy for a national sustainable development council.
Alongside the establishment of the forum, I will pursue specific arrangements to monitor progress on sustainable development objectives, including the designation of task managers in other Departments and agencies, and the refocusing of the green network of Departments. While my Department will continue to monitor overall progress, these arrangements will also underline the reality that sustainable development cannot be the sole responsibility of one Department or Minister, but must be progressed in a comprehensive way across Government, economic sectors and society.
