Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 4 May 1994

Vol. 442 No. 3

Written Answers. - Environmental Protection.

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

124 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment the support, advice or encouragement that is available from his Department to community groups and residents associations to enhance and clean up their area; the new initiatives, if any, he has for 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Mr. Browne, Wexford):

Direct support and advice to community and residents associations is more appropriate to local authorities than to my Department. The Department does, however, seek to encourage local cleanup activities by nationally co-ordinated publicity campaigns, such as that organised in 1993, and by its environmental awareness activities generally. The latter include both the ENFO service and a scheme of environment awareness awards to non-governmental organisations for demonstration projects in the field of environmental awareness and education.

Apart from the continuation of these ongoing activities in 1994, it is also intended later in the year to distribute a booklet to households setting out how individuals and their families in their daily lives can, by simple choices and changes in behaviour, play a fuller part in protecting the environment.