Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when it is intended to fully implement the Arrhus Convention; the reason for the delay in implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36809/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government contains a commitment to complete ratification of the Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. The three pillars of the Convention are partially implemented in EU law by two Directives. The first of these deals with public access to environmental information and was transposed into Irish law through the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007.

The second, known as the Public Participation Directive, deals with public participation in decision making and access to justice. Several pieces of legislation have been used to transpose the Public Participation Directive into law. The most recent measure is the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011, which introduced new cost rules that apply in certain environmental cases. This Act also implements certain aspects of the Convention that are not implemented by EU Directives.

The effect of these measures is that Ireland has now implemented the provisions of the Convention. My Department is currently carrying out a final assessment of all implementation measures in co-operation with the Office of the Attorney General, with a view to ratifying the Convention during the first half of 2012.