Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2015
1101. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has engaged with the Irish Environment Network on the progress made on the provision of funding to the natural environment, specifically from the national lottery; if he will support this network to be included in funding as it is entitled to be, as set out in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38234/15]
View answerSection 41(1) of the National Lotteries Act 2013 enables National Lottery monies paid into the Central Fund to be allocated for the purposes of the natural environment, as well as potentially for a range of other stated purposes. Lottery funding is a limited resource utilised across a range of Government Departments and Agencies. National Lottery funding channelled through my Department’s Vote currently supports a wide range of other worthy causes, including community groups and voluntary organisations. National Lottery funding is also distributed by other Departments to groups working in areas such as disability, health and sport.
It is important to note that should National Lottery funding be re-allocated to the natural environment, corresponding reductions would be required in other areas which are currently in receipt of such funding, within my own Department and also potentially within other beneficiary Departments. Accordingly, re-allocation of funding to support the natural environment at the expense of one or more of these other sectors can only be undertaken following careful consideration. However, I intend to keep this matter under review as the budgetary situation improves in the years ahead.
In taking this view, I am conscious that the natural environment, uniquely amongst the broad range of areas funded by my Department, also receives funding from the Environment Fund, which was established under the Waste Management (Amendment) Act 2001. The Environment Fund comprises revenues from the environmental levy on the supply of plastic bags, collected by the Revenue Commissioners, and the environmental levy on the landfilling of waste, collected by local authorities. The Fund is used for activities or initiatives in a range of areas such as, inter alia, schemes to prevent/reduce waste and waste recovery activities; research & development into waste management; support of education and training and promotion of awareness of the need to protect the environment, including national and regional campaigns; and environmental protection initiatives undertaken by community groups and others.
From 2011 to 2014, in excess of €255 million was disbursed to the environment sector from the Environment Fund. This is in addition to some €146 million provided to the environment sector by way of Exchequer Voted expenditure by my Department. In 2015, I made Fund allocations totalling €825,000 to the Irish Environmental Network and the Environmental Pillar. The total allocations from the Fund in 2015 amount to in the region of €44 million.
