Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he has taken to implement the programme for Government commitment to fully implement the Aarhus Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10141/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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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 and, in that context, the European Union has adopted two Directives as part of the ratification process. These deal with public access to environmental information (2003/4/EC) and public participation in certain environmental decision-making procedures (2003/35/EC).

The European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007 came into effect on 1 May 2007. These regulations transpose EU Directive 2003/4/EC on public access to environmental information. The process to transpose EU Directive 2003/35/EC providing for public participation in respect of the drawing up of certain plans and programmes relating to the environment is already well advanced, with legislation completed to amend the majority of the relevant consent systems, all of which are the responsibility of other Departments.

The work to amend the outstanding consent systems will be finalised by the Departments concerned as soon as possible. When this work has been completed, I, along with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, will ensure that the instrument of ratification of the Aarhus Convention is submitted to Government and laid before the Dáil as soon as possible.