asked the Minister for the Public Service when it is proposed to introduce legislation which will help to centralise responsibility for matters concerning conservation and the environment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Conservation Responsibility.
104.
Since matters concerning conservation and the environment arise as an integral part of the work and statutory responsibilities of many Departments and agencies of Government, each Department has primary responsibility for the environmental implications of its own programmes. Legislation to centralise responsibility for such matters would raise serious operational problems. Instead, arrangements have been made for co-ordination and review in relation to environmental matters between the Departments concerned.
Is the Minister aware that legislation such as is suggested in this question has been successfully implemented in countries like New Zealand, Australia, Canada and some of the Scandinavian countries?
There is, in fact, practical centralisation from day to day because of co-ordination between the multitudes of agencies which have different degrees of responsibility. I would not think it would necessarily be any better if it were to be institutionalised and, indeed, it might have the reverse effect.
Will the Minister not agree that it would be desirable to have one person, either a Minister or one of the Parliamentary Secretaries, to advise the Government and to centralise information on all matters concerning the environment so that there will be no clash of interests between one Department and another which can very easily happen and, indeed does, and happened in the previous Administration also?
I think all Ministers are seized of the importance of protecting the environment and on that account there is no need to have institutionalisation of the arrangements.