Burton Welcomes Government U-Turn on Minister for the Environment

Joan Burton TD welcomes the governments U-turn on the inclusion of the Environment portfolio from the title of the new Minister.

Deputy Burton said: “The Labour Party raised deep concerns at the dropping of this title. While a number of key parts of the Environment brief have been assigned to Ministers the lack of an overarching Minister for the Environment with final responsibility for all decisions in the area could lead to difficulties in the future.

 “I raised this issue in the Dail last week and asked the new government to reinstate the word ‘environment’ in the title of the Department, and so I am delighted that the government has responded positively to the Labour Party’s proposal.

“We must prioritise the environment we live in and plan for a positive future for all and so a Minister for the Environment is the very least that we should expect.

“As Tánaiste in the last government, I was delighted that we succeeded in bringing in the Climate Change legislation – the first ever in Ireland – which also meant that Ireland is only one of a handful of European countries with climate change legislation. Labour in government also introduced the landmark White Paper on Energy, a new Affordable Energy Strategy and introduced a nationwide ban on smoky fuels.

“The Labour Party will continue to ensure that critical environmental issues are top of the agenda in Dail Eireann.”