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The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,
Mr. John Gormley, TD has welcomed the recent completion of
all stages of the Foreshore and Dumping at Sea (Amendment)
Bill in the Oireachtas.
The Minister highlighted key provisions included in the Bill
at his request for early service delivery improvements, including
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- The provision that will allow the Minister for the Environment,
Heritage and Local Government to make enabling regulations
to specify bodies and set timeframes for consultation, where
the Minister is considering a foreshore application.
- The direct transfer of the dumping at Sea function from
the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the
Environmental Protection Agency. This will provide the Agency
with the opportunity to fully integrate the disposal of
dredge spoil at sea with its current waste management functions.
The Minister welcomed the positive reactions to these proposals
from many of the Senators and Deputies who spoke during the
various stages of the Bill and confirmed that it is his intention
to introduce the regulations setting time-limits for consultations
at the earliest opportunity following the transfer of
the foreshore functions.
The formal transfer of the foreshore functions into the Department
of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the
dumping at sea functions directly into the Environmental Protection
Agency will take place one month (January 2010) and two months
(February 2010), respectively, after the enactment of
the Bill.
The Minister said - “In deciding on the transfer of these
functions, Government was guided by the primary role of my
Department in relation to environmental protection and sustainable
development. Modernisation of the foreshore development consent
process can be best served by integrating the onshore and
offshore consent processes - particularly given the nature
and scale of recent offshore energy infrastructure programme
development.”
The Minister has stated publicly that his key objective is
to provide a quality service for all stakeholders - Government,
infrastructure providers, State bodies and the general public
- through a model that -
- operates within a 'plan-led' policy framework for
the approval of activities and developments on
the foreshore;
- fully integrates and streamlines estate management on
the State-owned foreshore with the strategic and wider planning
consent processes - and
- provides a single stage consent process for project approval
giving greater certainty of timeframes - including mandatory
pre-applications, a rigorous assessment of environmental
impacts and full public consultation.
In anticipation of the transfer of these functions into his
Department, officials have consulted with a number of key
stakeholders to hear, first-hand, their views and to outline
proposals for the future - including the Joint Oireachtas
Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, policy Departments,
regulators, NGOs, Industry Groups, etc.
The Minister stated that he was looking forward to a continued
and wider engagement with all stakeholders as he progresses
the modernisation process to meet the newer challenges and
opportunities that lie ahead.
Minister Gormley concluded by stating that officials in
the two Departments are working together to ensure continuity
of service during the transition period leading to the full
transfer of the functions into his Department by mid
January 2010.
The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
will shortly announce details of the new arrangements that
are to apply following the transfer of functions into that
Department next month.
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