Vol. 525 No. 3
265 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his Department has an environmental economics unit to appraise both his Department's developmental spatial plans and overall Government development plans, including fiscal policy; and if not, the proposals he has to establish such an evaluation system. [24906/00]
While my Department does not have a specific environmental economics unit, it draws on expertise in environmental economics as required in the policy development and evaluation process. Such expertise is drawn on through mechanisms such as research work commissioned from the Econ omic and Social Research Institute, work commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency as part of its overall research programme on environment and sustainable development, and individual consultancies where necessary. In addition, the National Climate Change Strategy provides for the establishment of a cross-departmental climate change team to secure early implementation of measures in the strategy; the team will be assisted by a support unit, which will include economics expertise to underpin the analysis necessary for implementation of specific measures.
As far as the national spatial strategy is concerned, the preparation of this strategy is being overseen by an interdepartmental steering committee, representative of all the Government Departments who will have a role to play in the implementation of the strategy. It would be a matter for this committee to ensure that relevant environmental and economic issues are taken into consideration in the preparation of the strategy.
