Dublin, September 10th, 2009.  Eight national environmental groups are calling for a strategic environmental assessment of current NAMA proposals. They claim an SEA is a ‘smart decision-making tool’ which is needed to compare alternative strategies and analyse the social environmental and economic implications thereof, so that decisions can be fully informed. The groups accept the urgent need for an asset management strategy and do not wish to slow down the process which is seen as necessary to restore confidence in the Irish economy. However, the groups believe that any decision on NAMA will be flawed if it does not follow a process which compares options and benchmarks against long term sustainability criteria such as climate change and energy depletion.

“A large scale review could represent a unique opportunity to put the economy on a sustainable footing” said Emer O’Siochru of FEASTA, the foundation for the economics of sustainability. “An SEA must therefore be included as critical aspect of agreeing on the details of a NAMA remit”.

Feargal Duff of The Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association stated that an SEA would help identify and evaluate the environmental consequences of the proposed policy on NAMA and help streamline the incorporation of environmental concerns into any decision on establising NAMA.

Charles Stanley-Smith, Chair An Taisce and Environmental Pillar representative called on the other Social Partners to endorse this call.

The eight groups are members of the Environmental Pillar of Social Partnership. They are the Irish Doctors Environmental Association, An Taisce, Centre for Environmental Living and Training. Irish Natural Forestry Foundations, Feasta – the foundation for the economics of sustainability, CoastWatch, Sonairte, Cultivate.

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The position expressed in this release has been developed by members of the Environmental Pillar but is not necessarily the policy of each member group in the pillar.