Marine:Marine environmental policy is identified as a "problem" area in the introductory brief for Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan.

The current arrangement where responsibility for the marine environment is "shared" between a number of departments is highlighted in a section initially deleted, but published on a repeat of an earlier page in the briefing document.

This policy area is becoming "increasingly important", not least due to an "imminent" (and now published) judgment from the European Court of Justice on the Republic's failure to implement the Shellfish Waters Directive, the document states.

The court's ruling last June found the Republic had breached EU environmental law from 1979 on in not designating enough areas to protect shellfish culture.

As a result, the Government has promised to spend €500 million over the next decade to improve water quality in inshore areas. The document says a decision is required in the short term "as to the future configuration and institutional location of divisions responsible for this policy area". It also says a draft report is being finalised on the separate issue of sea lice infestations of wild fish. Resolution will "take a concerted effort at both political and administrative level", due to a disagreement between anglers and the aquaculture industry on the causes.

Some of Mr Ryan's marine functions have been transferred within the past three weeks to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Mary Coughlan.

Responsibility for foreshore legislation has been further sub-divided between the Departments of Environment; Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; and Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.