Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Feb 2003

Vol. 562 No. 1

Written Answers - Social Partnership Agreements.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

453 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the input that environmental non-Governmental organisations or any organisations with a sustainability remit have had into the partnership talks. [5282/03]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

454 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if no commitments will be made in any eventual partnership agreement which would have a detrimental impact on environmental policy. [5283/03]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

455 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if Comhar, the National Sustainable Development Partnership, has had a role in the partnership talks; and if not, the reason therefor. [5284/03]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

456 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if commitments made in any eventual partnership agreements will be examined to determine their environmental impact. [5285/03]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 to 456, inclusive, together.

As the Taoiseach outlines in Sustaining Progress, Social Partnership Agreement 2003-2005: one of the overall goals of the agreement is to ensure a consistant economic development framework that is socially and environmentally sustainable.

The parties to the negotiations included the Government, employers, trade unions, farming bodies and the community and voluntary sector. While Comhar, the National Sustainable Development Partnership, is not a party of this process, many of its constituent bodies were represented at the negotiations.

Sustainability issues were raised by many of the social partners throughout the negotiations, in particular by CORI. Sustaining Progress reaffirms the Government's commitment to the promotion of sustainable development through ensuring the necessary balance between environmental, economic and social aspects of development. While there are no proposals to carry out a formal environmental assessment of the agreement I am satisfied that environmental and sustainability concerns appropriately inform its overall content, and, that key policies such as the National Spatial Strategy and the National Climate Change Strategy are reflected in, and key issues such as waste management, public transport, national emissions ceiling and water quality are integrated into, the overall framework of the agreement.