Committee Reports::Annual Report of the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government, 2006::31 January, 2007::Report

This report has been prepared pursuant to Standing Order 84 (3), (4), (5) and (6) (Dáil Éireann) and Standing Order 69 (3), (4), (5) and 6 of 69, (Seanad Éireann) which provide for Joint Committee to-

At its meeting on 1^st February 2006 the Joint Committee agreed that all these items be included in its annual report.

2. Functions and Powers

The Dáil Select Committee was established by Order of Dáil Éireann of 16 October 2002 to consider Bills, Estimates for Public Services and the terms of any international agreement involving a charge on public funds which come within the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

The Dáil Select Committee under the same Order was enjoined with a Select Committee of Seanad Éireann, established by Order of Seanad Éireann of 17 October 2002, to form the Joint Committee on the Environment and Local Government. Among the principal functions of the Joint Committee are to consider —

•public affairs administered by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government

•matters of policy for which the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is responsible

The Orders of Reference of the Dáil Select Committee and the Joint Committee are set out at Appendix 1.

3. Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Convenors and Membership

Deputy Seán Haughey was elected as Chairman of the Joint Committee on 24^th November, 2004. Deputy Jackie Healy-Rae is Vice-Chairman. The Chairman of the Joint Committee is also Chairman of the Dáil Select Committee. Deputy Haughey ceased to be Chairman on 12^th December 2006 upon his appointment as Minister of State. No Chairman had been elected in his stead as at 31^st December 2006.

The Joint Committee would like, within this Annual Report, to sincerely thank Deputy Haughey for his Chairmanship from November 2004 to December 2006. His tenure as Chairman was marked by efficiency and even-handedness and co-incided with a busy period for the Joint Committee which, under his Chairmanship, allowed full and varied workloads to be undertaken in an effective and constructive manner.

Deputies John Cregan and Padraig McCormack are the Convenors of the Committee whose function it is to ensure the availability and attendance of Members or their substitutes for meetings of the Committee and, in particular, to ensure Members’ availability for divisions.

4. Meetings, Attendance and Recording

Meetings of the Joint Committee and Select Committee took place in the committee rooms in Leinster House 2000. Meetings were in public unless otherwise ordered by the Committee.

Televised coverage of public meetings of the Committee were broadcast live within the Leinster House complex and was available for subsequent public broadcasting by R.T.E., TV3 and TG4.

Verbatim written reports of public meetings of the Select Committee in relation to Bills and Estimates for the Public Services, Vote 25, were published and may be purchased from the Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. These may also be viewed on the Oireachtas website at www.irlgov.ie/oireachtas.

Copies of other reports published by the Joint Committee may be obtained from the Clerk, Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government, Kildare House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. A list of these reports is set out at Section 8.

5. Number and Duration of Meetings

The Joint Committee met on 24 occasions in the year under report. The number of hours discussion involved in these meetings was in excess of 36 hours and 30 minutes. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out at Appendix 3.

The Dáil Select Committee met on 8 occasions in the year under report and the number of hours spent in discussion in these meetings was in excess of 30 hours and 3 minutes. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out at Appendix 4.

6. Work of the Committee

6.1 Joint Committee

•Planning Issues and Infrastructural Projects. Planning issues around telephone masts.

•Green Procurement Policies in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Office of Public Works.

Dáil Select Committee

•The Revised Estimates for Vote 25, Environment, Heritage and Local Government

•Motion re. Approval of the terms of an Agreement between Ireland and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on participation in the Multilateral Carbon Credit Fund

7. Groups and Individuals attending before Committee

In the year under report the Joint Committee met with the following organisations, groups and individuals:

•Mr Dick Roche T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and his officials

8. Joint Committee Reports

During the year under report the Joint Committee published the following reports:

•Annual Report 2006.

•Report on the Recycling of Household Waste in Ireland

•Reports arising from scrutiny of the following EU legislation

a)COM (2002)624 — Proposal amending Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 as regards the critical uses and export of halons, the export of products and equipment containing chlorofluorocarbons and controls on bromochloromethane

b)COM(2003)403 — Proposal amending the Directive establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community, in respect of the Kyoto Protocol’s project mechanisms

c)COM(2003)219 — Proposal amending Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment

d)COM(2004)16 — Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament on the Common Position of the Council in accordance with the provisions of article 251, 2nd paragraph of EC traité, on the Commission proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and the Council on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)due to the use of orgnic solvents in certain paints and varnishes and vehicle refinishing products and amending directive 1999/13/EC.

e)COM(2003)550 — Proposal on the protection of groundwater against pollution

f)COM(2004)515 — Proposal for a Council Regulation concerning the establishment of a voluntary FLEGT licensing scheme for imports of timber into the European Community

g)COM(2003)379 — Proposal on Shipments of Waste

h)COM(2003)667 — Proposal amending Regulation (EC) N° 1655/2000 concerning the Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE)

i)COM(2003)723 — Directive 2006/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators and repealing Directive 91/157/EEC

j)COM(2005)447 — Proposal on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe

k)COM(2004)606 — Proposal amending Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council for the purposes of establishing the maximum concentration values for certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment

l)COM(2005)564 — Proposal concerning the placing on the market, in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of a maize product (Zea mays L., hybrid MON 863 x MON 810) genetically modified for resistance to corn rootworm and certain lepidopteran pests of maize

m)COM(2004)172 — Amended proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Shipments of Waste

n)COM(2004)193 — Proposal concerning the placing on the market, in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of a maize product (Zea mays L. line NK603) genetically modified for glyphosate tolerance

o)COM(2004)572 — Draft Proposal concerning the placing on the market, in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of an oilseed rape product (Brassica napus L., GT73 line) genetically modified for tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate

p)COM(2003)23 — Proposal establishing a levy in the milk and milk-products sector

q)COM(2003)370 — Proposal amending Regulation (EURATOM) No 2587/1999 defining the investment projects to be communicated to the Commission in accordance with Article 41 of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community

r)COM(2005)705 — Proposal laying down the rules for the participation of undertakings, research centres and universities in actions under the Seventh Framework Programme and for the dissemination of research results (2007-2013)

s)COM(2005)284 — Proposal concerning the placing on the market, in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of a maize product (Zea mays L., line 1507) genetically modified for resistance to certain lepidopteran pests and for tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium.

t)COM(2006)15 — Proposal on the assessment and management of floods

u)COM(2005)119 — Proposal concerning the seventh framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

v)COM(2005)222 — Proposal concerning the negotiation of the accession of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) to an international framework agreement among the Members of the Generation IV International Forum in the field of nuclear-related research

w)COM(2005)444 — Proposal concerning the Specific Programme to be carried out by means of direct actions by the Joint Research Centre implementing the 7th Framework Programme (2007 -2011) of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for nuclear research and training activities

x)COM(2005)445 — Proposal concerning the specific programme implementing the seventh Framework Programme (2007-2011) of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for nuclear research and training activities

y)COM(2005)673 — Proposal for a Council Directive on the supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste and nuclear spent fuel

z)COM(2006)42 — Proposal for a Council Regulation (Euratom) laying down the rules for the participation of undertakings, research centres and universities in actions under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community and for the dissemination of research results

aa)COM(2006)94 — Amended Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a European grouping of territorial co-operation (EGTC)

bb)COM(2005)667 — Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on waste

cc)COM(2005)282 — Proposal on the protection of groundwater against pollution

dd)COM(2005)116 — Proposal establishing for the period 2007-2013 the programme “Citizens for Europe” to promote active European citizenship

ee)COM(2005)161 - 169 — Proposal concerning the provisional prohibition of the use and sale in Austria of genetically modified maize (Zea mays L. line T25) pursuant to Directive 2001/18/EC

8.1 Work in Progress

9. Travel by the Joint Committee

The Committee undertook the following travel in accordance with its orders of reference and in connection with its work programme:

TITHE AN OIREACHTAIS

An Comhchoiste um Chomhshaol agus Rialtas Áitiúil

TUARASCÁIL BHLIANTÚIL 2006 agus CLÁR OIBRE 2007

Eanáir 2007

HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS

Joint Committee on the Environment and Local Government

ANNUAL REPORT 2006 and WORK PROGRAMME 2007

January 2007