Written answers

Tuesday, 14 July 2015

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

National Lottery Funding Disbursement

Photo of Terence FlanaganTerence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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856. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding funding for the natural environment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28605/15]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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859. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will protect the environment, economy, and well-being of the people of Ireland by requesting the Government to ensure that a fair share of at least 17% of the national lottery funding is allocated in budget 2016 for work on the natural environment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28634/15]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 856 and 859 together.

I am aware of the amendment to section 41 of the National Lotteries Act 2013 that, pursuant to section 44 of said Act, enables National Lottery monies paid into the Central Fund to be allocated for the purposes of the natural environment, as well as potentially for a range of other stated purposes.

Lottery funding is a limited resource utilised across a range of Government Departments and Agencies. National Lottery funding channelled through my Department’s Vote currently supports a wide range of other worthy causes, including community groups and voluntary organisations. National Lottery funding is also distributed by other Departments to groups working in areas such as disability, health, and sport.

It is important to note that should National Lottery funding be provided for the natural environment, corresponding reductions would be required in other areas which are currently in receipt of such funding, within my own Department and also potentially within other beneficiary Departments. Accordingly, re-allocation of funding to support the natural environment at the expense of one or more of these other sectors can only be undertaken following very careful reflection. However, I intend to keep this matter under review as the budgetary situation improves in the years ahead.

In taking this view, I am conscious that the natural environment, uniquely amongst the broad range of areas funded by my Department, also receives funding from the Environment Fund, which was established with effect from 17 July 2001 by the Waste Management (Amendment) Act 2001. The Environment Fund comprises of the revenues from the environmental levy on the supply of plastic bags, collected by the Revenue Commissioners, and the environmental levy on the landfilling of waste, collected by local authorities.

The Environment Fund is hypothecated for environmental purposes, and is used for activities or initiatives in a range of areas such as, inter alia:

- schemes to prevent/reduce waste and waste recovery activities;

- research and development into waste management;

- production, distribution or sale of products deemed to be less harmful to the environment than other similar products;

- development of producer initiatives to prevent/reduce waste arising from their activities;

- promotion of awareness of the need to protect the environment, including national and regional campaigns;

- promotion/support of education and training to assist achievement of campaign objectives;

- initiatives undertaken by community groups and others for protection of the environment;

- initiatives undertaken by international organisations and others for protection of the environment and/or sustainable development; and

- such other purposes for the protection of the environment as may be prescribed by the Minister in regulations.

Since 2011, some €259 million has been disbursed to the environment sector from the Environment Fund. This is in addition to some €146 million provided to the environment sector by way of Exchequer Voted expenditure by my Department.

Given the prevailing challenging budgetary context in which the Government and my own Department has been required to operate over this period, I believe that the allocation of such a considerable amount of funding to environmental initiatives represents a fair and reasonable level of support for the environment sector in the circumstances, and I am committed to continuing to allocate and prioritise funding across my broad area of responsibility, including the environment, in as equitable a manner as possible within budgetary constraints.

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