Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 548: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the fact that Ireland is the only EU member which has not ratified the Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation in decision making and access to justice in relation to environmental matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6138/07]

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 ratification of the Convention is closely aligned with work at EU level. 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 process of transposition is already well advanced and will be completed as soon as possible. When full transposition is completed, the instrument of ratification of the Aarhus Convention will be submitted to Government and laid before the Dáil.