Roche announces 3% rise for Environment

Environment:Minister for the Environment Dick Roche yesterday announced an increase of 3 per cent in the Estimates for his department, bringing funding to a record €2.6 billion.

While the 3 per cent figure is just half the rate of increase achieved in 2005, the ending of large-scale waste water projects in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway gives Mr Roche the ability to significantly increase funding on social housing, nonnational roads, heritage agencies and local government.

Announcing an increase of 6.5 per cent in local government funding to almost €1 billion in 2006, Mr Roche said the money was to be linked to "transparency" in the accounts of local authorities. He said he particularly wanted local councillors to have details of an estimated €400 million which local authorities will receive in 2006 through development levies.

While he said he had "no suspicions" about local authority funding he argued that local authorities would spend a record €9 billion in 2006 and councillors should know where that money was going before they adopted their own estimates.

Acknowledging lobbying by the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland, Mr Roche warned local authorities not to take the "easy option" of increasing commercial rates. An efficiency factor of 5 per cent could make a huge difference in a €9 billion budget, he added.

Mr Roche said he expected the State’s affordable housing initiatives, including the Affordable Homes Partnership chaired by Des Geraghty, to deliver 12,000 new homes between 2005 and 2007. The total Exchequer provision for housing would amount to €1.3 billion in 2006, an increase of 5 per cent on 2005.

Mr Roche hinted broadly that his department may benefit from further announcements on Budget Day.

While new water and waste water systems for the the major cities and towns have been provided, Mr Roche said some €399 million would be spent on smaller schemes in 2006.

The Estimates contained a figure of €51 million for new, key non-national roads, but the Minister said that the actual spending would be greatly augmented by ongoing investment in upgrading and improving existing roads.

Mr Roche also announced an increase of 13 per cent in the provision for the Environmental Protection Agency, to an estimated €15.6 million in 2006. Significantly he included an increase in spending for An Bord Pleanála of 9 per cent, to €13.6 million.

Asked if this represented existing workload or the costs of the proposed new critical infrastructure division of the board, Mr Roche replied it was "a bit of both". He also announced funding of €500,000 for the establishment and running costs of the Irish Heritage Trust which is to be set up early next year.

In terms of natural heritage Mr Roche said there would be money to establish a National Biodiversity Fund, for the implementation of the management plans for the Killarney and Wicklow national parks. It would also cover the development of such plans at Glenveigh, Ballycroy and Connemara, Mr Roche added.