142. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form per annum all external consultant reports commissioned by his Department since March 2011; the costs per report; the company involved; the title of the report and its publication date. [28843/14]

The information requested is set out in the following table.

(1) The contract is in conjunction with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Total cost of the study is €169,302 (inclusive of VAT). My Department's contribution is €21,190 (inclusive of VAT) with the balance being met by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (i.e. €148,112 inclusive of VAT).

(2) My Department previously provided funding to Cork County Council to support the production of an annual Dust Impact Assessment Report at the former Irish Steel site at Haulbowline Island. Following a Government Decision in June 2011, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine assumed the lead role in relation to the remedial works necessary to be undertaken on the site. Accordingly, funding provided to Cork County Council for the annual Dust Impact Assessment Report 2011 and subsequent years is a matter for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

(3) This report arises from a broader process connected with Ireland’s obligation to implement the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The work primarily consists of a determination of the status of Ireland’s marine waters and the measures necessary to achieve, or maintain, the required status by 2020. The preparation of a draft Initial Assessment (under Art. 8 of the MSFD) including proposals for Good Environmental Status (Art. 9) and for draft Environmental Targets (Art.10)

- Creation of an Atlas of the Irish Marine Environment

- Development of an index of environmental and associated indicators

- Preparation of a summary report for use in public consultation (Art. 19)

- Development of a streamlined national reporting system

(4) This report was co-funded by my Department and the Private Residential Tenancies Board. The cost to my Department of €42,706 represents 50% of the total cost.

(5) This report has been co-funded by my Department, Teagasc and the Western Development Commission. The cost to my Department of €19,049 represents 40% of the overall expenditure.

(6) Survey jointly commissioned and funded by Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland and my Department.

(7) This report has been commissioned by my Department under the auspices of the North South Ministerial Council and in conjunction with the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. The cost is being evenly split and the final charge to my Department is estimated at €40,000.