Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 48: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made to date by the task force set up in his Department to establish strategies to address the range of environmental complaints against Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22217/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The task force set up in my Department to establish strategies to address the range of environmental complaints against Ireland in a more comprehensive way is fully operational. In addressing its work, the task force has been building on an intensified engagement by my Department with Commission officials and with the implementing agencies in Ireland that has been developed over recent months.

The task force has undertaken a systematic analysis of each individual case that is the subject of infringement proceedings by the EU Commission and for which my Department is responsible. This analysis has facilitated accelerated responses by Ireland to Commission concerns in a number of cases. It should also help to improve our response to infringement complaints in future and to provide full information about excellent ongoing work being undertaken towards fulfilling our compliance with our EU obligations.