John Bruton
Ceist:126 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment his views on the estimate by EU Commission services that Ireland will have to spend 1.5 billion ECUs to comply with EU Environmental Directives.
Written Answers. - Environmental Expenditure.
I am aware of the European Commission estimate, which is related to full implementation of environmental directives linked to economic development. The Government has already noted, in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work, that projects to the value of about £2 billion have been identified as being required to meet the long term needs under the water services programme, including needs arising from environmental directives. The timescale for compliance with a number of important environmental directives, extends beyond the present decade.
Support for implementation of environmental directives is being provided through the Cohesion and Structural Funds and by the Exchequer over the period 1994-1999. In addition, the National Development Plan indicated that the principle of capital contributions by users to the cost of water and waste water services would be developed on a wider and more systematic basis, in line with the "polluter pays" principle, to provide increased capital investment in these services.