Trevor Sargent
Question:41 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance if he will make a statement on the EU Commission's concerns regarding the sustainability of the national development plan. [6043/00]
Written Answers. - National Development Plan.
I presume the Deputy is referring to environmental sustainability. The strategy and investment priorities underpinning the National Development Plan 2000-2006 is to build on the unprecedented economic and social progress of recent years and to strengthen the foundations for further strong and sustainable progress in the years ahead. The plan is designed to strike the correct balance between protecting and preserving the environment, promoting economic growth, improving competitiveness and tackling social exclusion. The protection of the environment is a key priority under the plan and this is addressed, for example, in the £3.6 billion investment in improving water supply, waste water treatment and waste management, more than £2.5 billion in improving public transport as well as investment in areas such as the rural environment protection scheme, the farm waste management scheme and energy efficiency and renewable energy.
The environmental situation in Ireland is addressed in chapter 13 of the plan and the plan itself has been eco-audited on a pilot scale and the results are set out in appendix 4 of the plan. The main environmental challenges which the plan and other policy measures will address include protecting the urban environment, improving water quality, better management of solid waste and meeting our Kyoto commitment to limit the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. The arrangements for compliance with EU rules on the natural habitats are being addressed in the context of the current negotiations on the community support framework for Ireland 2000-2006 between the Irish authorities and the EU Commission. The plan provides for the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation of operational programmes, the use of environmental criteria in project selection and an environmental co-ordinating committee which will monitor the environmental aspects of the implementation of the plan.
All relevant environmental issues have been discussed with the European Commission in the context of the negotiations on Ireland's Community Support Framework (2000-2006). I anticipate that these negotiations will shortly be concluded to the satisfaction of Ireland and the European Commission.