Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 493: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the Government has signed the Aarhus Convention; if Ireland is obliged to comply with the convention; the mechanism available to Irish citizens to avail of funding under the convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37780/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland signed the Aarhus Convention on 25 June 1998. Progress towards full ratification of the convention is closely aligned with work at EU level. To date, the European Union has adopted two directives as part of the ratification process for the convention. These deal with public access to environmental information, 2003/4/EC, and public participation in certain environmental decision making procedures, 2003/35/EC.

The three pillars of the Aarhus Convention deal with access to information on the environment, public participation in decision making and access to justice in environmental matters. The convention does not address the issue of provision of funding for citizens.

Work is continuing in my Department on transposing the two directives concerned. This work will be completed as soon as possible, at which point the instrument of ratification of the Aarhus Convention will be submitted to Government and laid before the Dáil in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution.