(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give particulars of any new staff recruited by or assigned to his Department for its environmental functions since he assumed office and of any staff already in his Department who have been assigned to the environmental section.

The Environment Division of my Department, which is in the charge of an Assistant Secretary, comprises the planning development, sanitary services, environmental services and pollution control sections. There are corresponding units of professional and technical staff operating under the chief engineering adviser. Details of the staffing arrangements are to be found in the State Directory, 1978 published by the Stationery Office, and include two posts of executive officer approved for the division since I took office. A further post of higher executive officer was approved since the directory was published. I would also refer to the Government statement issued on 27 February 1978, regarding Ministerial responsibility for environmental matters. The implications, including staffing implications, of that statement are under consideration, but the statement indicated that a staff unit will be provided for the servicing of a new Environment Council.

Would the Minister clearly state what number of new staff or staff already in the Department have been assigned exclusively to environmental functions?

Is the Deputy asking the number of staff in the different sections which have to do with the environment?

I am referring to staff exclusively on environmental functions, new staff or staff who are already there.

Since my appointment two executive officers and a higher executive officer have been appointed and at present we are dealing with the remainder of the staffing problem.

At present are there three people working full time on environmental functions?

That is not so. There are other sections in my Department involved in environmental functions which I named in my reply to the question. There are planning development, sanitary services and pollution control.

All I want is a figure for the total number of staff working exclusively on environmental functions.

In the environmental services section there are one principal officer, three assistant principals, three higher executive officers, five executive officers, three clerical assistants, one assistant chief engineering adviser, four inspectors, two inspectors grade III and one environmental services inspector.

May I ask regarding the staff the Minister has just read out whether they were doing exactly the same work as they are now before the present occupant became Minister?

I would not say that it is correct, but that is the present staff in the environmental section.

Are they doing exactly the same work now as they were doing 12 months ago?

I would not agree. The section has expanded.

If the Minister has expanded this section what extra work are they now doing that they were not doing 12 months ago?

For one thing the Water Pollution Council are now in full action.

Thanks to Deputy Tully.

No thanks to him, it was there but it had not become active. I launched it and gave it powers.

How many people are engaged in the Water Pollution Council?

The staff in the pollution control section consists of one principal officer——

Is the pollution control section a different section that was already in existence before the Minister took control?

I cannot get the relevance of this discussion across the House. I will not allow it to develop.

I am trying to establish that in exactly the last ten months in that Department, which is now no longer called Local Government but the Department of the Environment, there is no other change.

That is not correct, as the Deputy knows.

The Minister has proved it.

It is not correct. I have not proved it.

May I ask the Minister if, in addition to the staff that he has read out, he has seconded any technical specialists from either the IIRS or An Foras Forbartha, or are they simply available to the Department?

They are not seconded as yet, but we are recruiting further staff into that section.

15.

(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for the Environment the proposals he has to promote specific programmes or projects for the protection and improvement of the environment; and if he will make a statement giving more details of the intention behind the recent Government announcement on the matter.

16.

(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for the Environment the proposals he has to examine the state of the environment; and if he will make a statement on the recent Government announcement in this regard.