Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 466: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason Ireland has not ratified the Aarhus Agreement taking into account Article 29.5.1 given that the European Union has already ratified the agreement on 17 February 2005; and the reason Ireland has not ratified the agreement almost seven years after signing it on 25 June 1998. [17962/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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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 the ratification of the convention is closely aligned with work at EU level. The European Union has adopted two directives as part of the convention's ratification process. The directives deal with public access to environmental information, Directive 2003/4/EC, and public participation in certain environmental decision-making procedures, Directive 2003/35/EC. The ratification of the convention will take place after the directives have been transposed into Irish law. Work is continuing in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in this regard. When work on the transposition of the directive has been completed, the instrument of ratification will be submitted to the Government and laid before the Oireachtas in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution.