Trevor Sargent
Question:24 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands when the national bio-diversity plan will be published; and the reason for the delay. [6344/00]
Written Answers. - National Bio-Diversity Plan.
It is intended that the national biodiversity plan will be published by the end of 2000.
The Deputy will appreciate that it was important to have the widest possible participation in the development of the plan. Towards that end, public notices were placed in the national press inviting submissions from interested parties or individuals. Submissions were also invited directly from relevant organisations, including third level institutions and NGOs, representative of both conservation and sectoral interests. Approximately 50 submissions were received, quite a number of which were comprehensive. These were reviewed and incorporated, as appropriate, into the draft plan.
A key element of the plan will be the appropriate integration of policies for the promotion and protection of biodiversity into the policies and approaches of other relevant Departments. It is, therefore, necessary to fully consult with those Departments and to reach agreement on the final content of the plan. A working draft has been informally circulated to the key players and discussions on the text are ongoing.
In my view, there has been no undue delay in the preparation of the plan, and the time taken to date reflects both the need for consultation and the complexity of the exercise. It is intended that the national biodiversity plan will dovetail with the national heritage plan, which is also in the course of preparation.