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HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS

Annual Report of the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government 1998

November, 1998

HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS

Annual Report of the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government 1998

November, 1998

Table of Contents

Page 1:	Establishment of Committees.
Page 2:	Members of Joint Committee.
Page 3:	Number of Meetings Held.
Page 4:	Presentation to Joint Committee.
Page 5:	Representation at International Conferences etc.
Page 6:	Bills and Estimates considered by the Dáil Select Committee during the year.
Page 7:	Orders of Reference.
Page 9:	Work Programme.
Appendix I:	Minutes for Joint Committee of Environment and Local Government from the 3rd December to 18 November 1998.
Appendix II:	Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government Work Programme 1999.

•The Select and Joint Committees on Environment and Local Government were established by order of the Dáil on 13 November 1997, and of the Senate on 19 November 1997

The members of the Joint Committee are as follows:

Deputies:

Noel Ahern (FF)

Deirdre Clune (FG)

Alan Dukes (FG)

Seán Haughey (FF)

Brian Hayes (FG)

Jackie Healy-Rae (Ind)

Brendan Howlin (Lab)

Billy Kelleher (FF)

Tony Killeen (FF)

Padraic McCormack (FG)

Olivia Mitchell (FG)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF)

Seán Power (FF)

Eoin Ryan (FF)

Senators:

Frank Chambers

Joe Doyle

Dan Kiely

Jim Walsh

Brendan Ryan

•The Joint Committee has held 15 meetings of which 11 were entirely public, and 4 consisted of both public and private sessions. The above included one joint meeting with the Joint Committee on Family, Community, and Social Affairs to consider housing issues.

•The following groups/agencies made presentations to the Joint Committee.

Presenter		Regarding
Mr. Noel Dempsey T.D. Minister for Environment and Local Government.	-	Goals/Policies for term of office.
Officials of Department of Environment and Local Government.	- - -	Irish Planning System. Departments Strategy Statement. Housing Policy.
Dr. Peter Bacon. Peter Bacon and Associates.
Department of Social, Community, and Family Affairs. (This was a joint meeting with the Joint Committee on Family, Community and Social Affairs).	-	Housing Issues.
An Bord Pleanála.	-	Planning Process and Review of Planning Legislation.
Focus Ireland.	-	Homelessness in Ireland.
General Council of County Councils.	-	Local Government Issues.

•The Joint Committee was represented at the following conferences/events abroad during the year.

Feb 1998:	Copenhagen
	Meeting to discuss proposals for strengthening the environment in the EU ,including development of co-operation between National Parliaments. (Committee was represented by Deputy Brendan Howlin, and Senator Frank Chambers).
May 1998:	New York
	Sixth Session of Commission on Sustainable Development. (Committee was represented by Deputy Noel Ahern, Deputy Deirdre Clune, Senator Dan Kiely, and Senator Brendan Ryan).
Aug 1998:	Cape Cod
	Globe International Assembly XIII. (Committee was represented by Deputy Olivia Mitchell, and Deputy Brendan Howlin).
Oct 1998:	Florence
	Conference on alternative Traffic in Towns - Convention of European Cities. (Committee was represented by Deputy Noel Ahern, and Deputy Olivia Mitchell).
Nov 1998:	Buenos Aires
	Fourth Conference of the Parties in the Climate Change Convention. (Committee was represented by Deputy Eoin Ryan, and Deputy Brian Hayes).

•The Dáil Select Committee considered the following Bills and Estimates.

Bills:	Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Bill, 1998.
	Urban Renewal Bill, 1998.
	Local Government Bill, 1998.
	Roads (Amendment) Bill, 1997.
	Local Government (Planning and Development) Bill, 1997.
Estimates:	Supplementary Estimate (1997) - Department of the Environment and Local Government.
	Estimate-Vote No. 25- Evironment and Local Government (1998).

The Orders establishing the Select and Joint Committees specified for it the following Orders of Reference.

(1)(a) That a Select Committee, which shall be called the Select Committee on Environment and Local Government, consisting of 14 members of Dáil Éireann (of whom 4 shall constitute a quorum), be appointed to consider such—

(i)Bills the statute law in respect of which is dealt with by the Department of the Environment and Local Government, and

(ii)Estimates for Public Services within the aegis of that Department,

as shall be referred to it by Dáil Éireann from time to time.

(b)For the purpose of its consideration of Bills under paragraph (1)(a)(i), the Select Committee shall have the powers defined in Standing Order 78A(1), (2) and (3).

(c)For the avoidance of doubt, by virtue of his or her ex officio membership of the Select Committee in accordance with Standing Order 84(1), the Minister for the Environment and Local Government (or a Minister or Minister of State nominated in his or her stead) shall be entitled to vote.

(2)(a) The Select Committee shall be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Seanad Éireann to form the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government to consider—

(i)such public affairs administered by the Department of the Environment and Local Government as it may select, including bodies under the aegis of that Department in respect of Government policy,

(ii)such matters of policy for which the Minister in charge of that Department is officially responsible as it may select,

(iii)the strategy statement laid before each House of the Oireachtas by the Minister in charge of that Department pursuant to section 5(2) of the Public Service Management Act, 1997, and shall be authorised for the purposes of section 10 of that Act, and

(iv)such other matters as may be jointly referred to it from time to time by both Houses of the Oireachtas,

and shall report thereon to both Houses of the Oireachtas.

(b)The quorum of the Joint Committee shall be 5, of whom at least 1 shall be a member of Dáil Éireann and 1 a member of Seanad Éireann.

(c)The Joint Committee shall have the powers defined in Standing Order 78A(1) to (9) inclusive.

(3)The Chairman of the Joint Committee, who shall be a member of Dáil Éireann, shall also be Chairman of the Select Committee.

The Joint Committee considers its Orders of Reference to be appropriate and adequate.

•The Select and Joint Committees adopted the following work programme for 1998:-

Dáil Select Committee

Under paragraph (1) of its Orders of Reference, the Dáil Select Committee shall consider

i)Bills the statute law in respect of which is dealt with by the Department of the Environment and Local Government.

ii)Estimates for Public Services within the aegis of that Department as shall be referred to it by Dáil Éireann from time to time.

Items for Consideration by the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government

General

1.Agenda 2000, For a Stronger and Wider Union; the Policies of the Union and the Challenge of Enlargement (European Commission, 1997).

2.The Strategy Statement of the Department of the Environment and Local Government pursuant to the Public Service Management Act, 1997.

Environmental Issues

3.Sustainable Development:

(a)Monitoring of implementation of “A Strategy for Ireland” (Department of the Environment, 1997); Initial briefing session to be provided by Department of Environment and Local Government officials followed by evidence from Secretary-General of each relevant Government Department on implementation of the Strategy.

(b)Waste Management - see also item no. 17.

(c)EU Communication: “Towards an Urban Agenda”.

Briefing material in relation to this item shall include (i) the Report of the Joint Committee on Sustainable Development (March, 1997), and (ii) the Official Report of Dáil Éireann of 18 December, 1997, relating to the Statements on the Kyoto Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention, December, 1997.

4.Developments in the area of Environmental Protection (including application and enforcement of legislation).

5.Examination of Water, including, quality, treatment and distribution thereof -see also item no. 16.

6.Environmental Protection Agency.

7.Impact of Transport on the Environment (e.g. air quality).

Urban Renewal

8.Urban Renewal Scheme, 1998.

Planning

9.Review of Planning Process: Consultation with Minister for the Environment and Local Government re. review of Planning Legislation including a briefing on the Convention on the Review of Planning Legislation (27 November, 1997).

Franchise

10.Voter Turnout at Elections.

11.Amendments to Electoral Law.

Briefing material in relation to items 10 and 11 shall include the Interim Report of the Select Committee on Finance and General Affairs on Procedures for the Registration of Voters and the Conduct of Elections.

Local Government

A. Local Government Reform

12.Government Policy regarding Local Government Reform.

13.Process of consultation with local authority organisations (e.g. General Council of County Councillors) regarding their views on proposals for reform; The manner in which the policy document “Better Local Government, A Policy for Change” (Department of the Environment, December, 1996) is being implemented and the impact of its provisions on the activities of local authorities; The manner in which the position of members of local authorities may be strengthened; Local Government Renewal and its implications for members of local authorities.

14.Financing of Local Government; Government Policy on the use of Motor Taxation as a Source of Own-Funding for Local Authorities.

15.Examination of local authorities on a national scale.

B. Provision of Services by Local Authorities

16.The implications of EU Communications for the capital and operational costs incurred by Local Authorities in the provision of certain services e.g. water and waste disposal schemes; Examination of EU Directives relating to provision of water to assess their cost implications for local authorities.

17.Provision of waste disposal services by local authorities.

18.Assessment by local authorities of the incidence of homelessness in the functional area of each local authority.

19.More effective distribution of services in the functional area of each local authority.

Roads

20.Review of Government Policy in relation to Roads and Road Safety.

21.Road infrastructure including national and non-national roads.

Housing

22.Review of Government Policy in relation to Housing.

23.The provision of accommodation for travellers including housing and halting sites.

24.Consideration of the issue of escalating house prices and the implications for mortgage holders.

Work Completed.

Sub-Committees have been established to consider the issues of Sustainable Development (Item 3) and Local Government Reform (Items 12 to 15), and are to report by the end March 1999 and the end December 1998 respectively. Items 3 and 12 to 15 can therefore be described as “Work in Progress”.

Items 9, 18, 22, to 24, have been considered by the committee.

Item 20 is being considered today

Items 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17, 19, and 21, will carry forward to the Joint Committees Work Programme for 1999, along with such other items as may arise from time to time.

___________________________

Jackie Healy-Rae, T.D.,

Chairman

12 November 1998.