Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made to date in delivering on commitments made in the Agreed Programme for Government in relation to integrating environmental considerations into policy formulation, linked with existing social partnership mechanisms and, in particular, establishing Comhar as a body within the National Economic and Social Development Office under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26055/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The integration of environmental considerations into policy formulation has been central to policy making for a number of years. The specific commitments in the Programme for Government to introduce arrangements for the representation of environmental issues in Social Partnership, to increase the resources available to Comhar-Sustainable Development Council and to establish it as a body within the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) will further support the integration process.

The arrangements for the representation of environmental issues in the Social Partnership process will, as stated in the Programme, be considered in the context of the overall review of Towards 2016 which is due to take place in 2008. Proposals from Comhar to increase significantly its capacity for policy analysis are currently being considered, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government to provide increased resources for that purpose. Arrangements for giving effect to the commitment to establish Comhar as a body within NESDO are being given careful consideration in order to ensure that the effective operation of both Comhar and NESDO is not compromised by any changes in structure.