Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Finance if there has been a strategic environmental assessment of the National Development Plan; if he will carry out such an assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13615/07]

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.