asked the Minister for the Environment his policy objectives and priorities in relation to the area of environmental protection of our natural resources; if he has met the Environmental Council; if not, when he proposes to do so; if he is in a position to set out for them a work programme listing his requirements in the coming year; the measures he proposes to take in relation to improving the quality of our air, water and land resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

(Dublin South-East): The overall aim of the Government's environment policy is to protect and improve the physical environment side by side with economic and social progress so that there will be a better quality of life for everybody, now and in the future. The central theme of the policy is the concept of integrating environmental concern with development; the prevention of pollution and the protection and improvement of amenities and our heritage.

These objectives are in line with the recommendations of the report A Policy for the Environment which was produced by the Environment Council set up in 1978 and was published at the beginning of this year. The term of office of the council expired in June 1981 and the council was not renewed. I am currently reviewing that position including the question of appointing a new council and the settling of its functions. In the meantime the detailed recommendations of the previous council's report have been referred to the various Departments concerned and progress is being monitored by the inter-departmental environment committee who operate under my Department.

The quality of environmental resources will continue to depend largely on the effective operation of the planning and pollution control systems. It is my intention that these systems will be extended and improved as necessary. A general review of the operation of the Planning and Development Acts will be undertaken as soon as the more immediate items of planning legislation have been dealt with. In the meantime comprehensive guidelines on the administration of local planning are being prepared for the assistance of planning authorities. Local authorities are being urged to give full effect to the provisions of the Water Pollution Act, 1977, and of the new regulations which have been introduced for the control of waste disposal operations. Arrangements are also proceeding for implementation of other aspects of the general Strategy for Waste Disposal which was published in May 1981.

Trends in air pollution are being closely monitored with a view to any additional control measures that may be necessary and feasible being introduced and the controls relating to other environmental problems, including noise and nuisance, are also being reviewed.

It is important in all of this, and in the further development of environmental policy, that there should be as accurate a picture as possible of the actual environmental conditions and of the trends. This calls for development of a system of state-of-the-environment reporting. I have asked An Foras Forbartha to assist in the preparation of a first report of this kind, and that work is now in progress.

I appreciate the Minister's long and detailed reply in relation to the Environmental Council and the document they have produced. Can he give any instance of any of their recommendations which were accepted by his Department and implemented?

(Dublin South-East): It is necessary to restate that the council were not brought back again in June 1981 and it is the intention now to review that situation. The Deputy may be aware that the council prepared four reports, Towards an Environment Policy, Litter and the Environment, A Policy for the Environment and Reporting on the State of the Environment. I can give details of those reports if necessary, but they would be very long drawn out.

The council lapsed for very obvious reasons, given the last 12 months that we have had. They made four reports, as the Minister has said. Since the Minister has indicated that he is to appoint a new council, can he indicate what he sees as the benefit of the previous council and what recommendations proposed by them were implemented by his Department?

(Dublin South-East): I cannot give that information now because it is not in my brief. The concept of an environmental council was an excellent one. The situation will be reviewed.

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