John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

Ireland signed the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters on 25 June 1998. Progress towards ratification of the convention is closely aligned with work at EU level and, in that context, the European Union has adopted two directives as part of the ratification process for the convention. These deal with public access to environmental information and public participation in certain environmental decision-making procedures.

Regulations transposing the European Communities (Access to information on the Environment) Directive came into effect on 1 May 2007. The process to transpose the public participation directive is well advanced, with legislation completed to amend the majority of the relevant consent systems, and the remaining work on the outstanding consent systems will be completed at the earliest possible date. Having regard to the above, I will ensure the instrument of ratification of the Aarhus Convention is submitted to Government and laid before the Dáil as soon as possible.

The Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 is a key part of Ireland's overall transposition of the directive in so far as the planning code is concerned. A number of key features of the Act, relating to appeals, judicial review procedures and amendments to the EIA directive, specifically transpose provisions of the public participation directive. I do not anticipate any conflict between the implementation of the public participation directive and the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006.

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