Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 144: To ask the Minister for Finance if an environmental assessment of the National Development Plan was carried out; if there was a public consultation conducted as part of this environmental assessment; if a report has been prepared on the environmental effects of the plan; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this is a requirement under European Community Law Directive 2001/42EC and without such a report the plan is illegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3864/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It was not necessary to carry out a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the National Development Plan 2007-2013. The Plan is primarily a strategic document and indicative financial Plan. It is not unduly prescriptive as regards projects over the period and does not impact on the planning or environmental framework within which consent is given for individual projects. It accordingly does not fall within the framework of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive and it was not therefore subject to a formal SEA. I would point out, however, that Environmental Sustainability is a key horizontal objective of the Plan and Chapter 6 of the Plan deals with this issue in some detail, including the positive impact of Plan investment on the environment.

There was a widespread consultation process on the National Development Plan and this included submissions from environmental interests.