merrion street

Tuesday 19th November 2013: Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, will this afternoon address the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) Irish Section Conference in Moran's Red Cow Hotel, Dublin. The conference consisted of a series of focused presentations, case studies and workshops over two days.

CIEEM is a professional membership body representing and supporting ecologists and environmental managers in the UK, Ireland and abroad. Their Vision is of a society which values the natural environment and recognises the contribution of professional ecologists and environmental managers to its conservation. Established in 1991, they have members drawn from across the employment sectors including local authorities, government agencies, NGOs, environmental consultancy, academia and industry.

In his address Minister Deenihan commented: " As you know, the Government is working very hard to fix our economy, to provide jobs for our people and to restore our confidence as a nation. But we also have to remain vigilant about our environment and to maintain the international perception of Ireland as a provider of the best quality food and also as a wonderful place to visit and get out into nature. We do this for our own good and also as responsible members of the wider European Community. Therefore we need a very sound understanding of the environment and we rely on getting the best ecological advice to guide our planning and development into the future. So it is particularly useful that your Institute continues to work on setting high professional standards and encouraging you in the exchange of information and best practice".