A new politician has been put in charge of the Irish Department of the Environment - which regulates environmental protection and conserves the natural heritage.

The Irish Taoiseach has assigned Environment and also Communications after multiple resignations from his Cabinet and in the wake of the withdrawal from Government of the Green Party.

Brian Cowen named the ministers who are to take responsibility for the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources having received the resignations of Ministers John Gormley and Eamon Ryan and on his advice the President has accepted them.

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He has assigned the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to Minister Éamon Ó Cuív and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to Minister Pat Carey.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government aims to achieve a high quality environment with effective environmental protection and to achieve effective conservation of the natural heritage and biodiversity and to achieve effective conservation of Ireland's built heritage and to protect and improve water resources and the quality of drinking water and to ensure that the regions and communities are planned and built to respect sustainable and balanced regional development and to seek good quality housing in sustainable communities.

(BMcC/GK)