Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 203: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to introduce legislation or a policy framework to support the voluntary work of residents' associations around the country in the work of maintaining their residential estate. [8261/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department already operates several programmes that support, facilitate and encourage voluntary work for the maintenance and improvement of our living environment. I have recently announced a once-off initiative – Civic Responsibility Week - which will run from 9 to 15 May next, for which I will provide funding totalling €350,000 to local authorities to help improve the visual amenity of their areas, in conjunction with community groups, businesses and the general public.

The Tidy Towns competition (www.tidytowns.ie), operated by my Department, has been the catalyst for intensive voluntary effort for the improvement of our towns and villages since the competition's inception in 1958. In 2010, 764 towns and villages entered the competition, which encourages Tidy Towns groups and local authorities to work closely with each other.

National Spring Clean (www.nationalspringclean.org), which runs each year throughout the month of April, involves thousands of volunteers cleaning up our countryside and cities, towns and villages. This initiative is run by An Taisce and is co-financed by my Department. Local authorities play a central role and co-ordinate and assist events at local level. 2010 was the 12th anniversary of the campaign and was a resounding success with over 525,000 volunteers participating in 5,362 various events.

The Green Home initiative (www.greenhome.ie), operated by An Taisce, is a framework to support and encourage all householders to reduce their environmental impact and to live in a more sustainable manner. This initiative is supported by the EPA under the National Waste Prevention Programme, which is funded from the Environment Fund.

My Department is also currently developing a Greening Communities initiative in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency, local authorities, An Taisce and other environmental non-Governmental organisations, and other groups. This initiative will seek to integrate and build upon existing programmes, such as those outlined above. I have no plans to introduce any new legislation in this area and I am satisfied that the suite of measures being funded by my Department, coupled with the legislative measures available to local authorities, particularly in the Litter Pollution and Waste Management Acts, can assist residents' associations to take steps to improve their environments.