asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give details of the composition, purpose, date of appointment and frequency of meetings of each inter-Departmental committee in which his Department is involved; and if the committees have produced or will produce a written report on their work.
Written Answers. - Inter-Departmental Committees.
571.
There are three formal committees which are wholly or mainly inter-Departmental functioning under the aegis of my Department. Details are given below.
In addition, my Department are represented on a number of similar committees under the aegis of other Minister who will respond in respect of their own Departments.
Name: Dublin Inner City Group
Composition: The Committee is chaired by the Department of the Environment and is representative of the following Government Departments: Environment, Finance, Labour, Industry and Energy, Dublin Corporation are also represented.
Purpose: to further the work of the Inter-Departmental Committee* on Dublin Inner City; to develop a programme of action by the various Departments and public agencies operating in the inner-city and to co-ordinate the activities and policies of these bodies.
Date of Appointment: February 1980.
Frequency of Meetings: Meetings are held monthly.
Report: 2 progress reports have been produced and further report(s) are anticipated.
*This was an earlier group which issued recommendations regarding inner-city matters.
Name: Inter-Departmental Environment Committee.
Composition: The Committee is chaired by the Department of the Environment and is representative of the following Government Departments: Agriculture, Environment, Finance, Fisheries and Forestry, Foreign Affairs, Health, Industry and Energy, Labour, Public Service, Office of Public Works, Taoiseach, Trade, Commerce and Tourism, Transport and Education.
Purpose: (a) to be a means of communication between Departments in environmental matters, to promote co-ordination and joint consideration by Departments where appropriate, particularly in relation to EEC and international measures; (b) to examine arrangements relating to environmental protection and improvement and to consider their adequacy; (c) to provide such input as may be called for to the working of the Environmental Council; (d) to monitor the consideration of matters arising from the Report on Pollution Control and from the Environment Council's Report "A Policy for the Environment" which was published last January.
Date of Appointment: The Committee was set up by Government decision of 2 April 1974.
Frequency of Meetings: Meetings are held as required and the frequency varies from year to year with an average of about 10 meetings a year.
Report: A report on Pollution Control was published in June 1978.
Name: Oil Pollution Liaison Committee.
Composition: The committee is chaired by the Department of the Environment and is representative of the following Government Departments: Environment, Transport, Defence, Justice, Fisheries and Forestry, Posts and Telegraphs, Office of Public Works, Industry and Energy. The County and City Managers Association, the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards, and the Institution of Engineers of Ireland are also represented.
Purpose: Developing and overseeing arrangements for dealing with oil spillage and ensuring co-ordination of action by the various agencies involved in the event of an oil spillage.
Date of Appointment: 22 March 1974.
Frequency of Meetings: Yearly or more frequently depending on developments.
Reports: No formal reports have been issued but arising from the conclusions of the committee any major policy or other matter may be brought to Government attention.