Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Nov 1998

Vol. 496 No. 3

Written Answers. - Aarhus Convention.

John Gormley

Ceist:

323 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans, if any, he has to transpose into Irish law those provisions of the Aarhus Convention, which Ireland has committed itself to ratifying, which lay down detailed rules on the way in which a public participation procedure should be carried out in relation to decision making on environmental issues and which details the categories of environmental information which must be made available to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22788/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

324 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans, if any, he has to give effect to the provisions of the Aarhus Convention which establish the principle that public participation in environmental decision making should take place at an early stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22789/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

325 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans, if any, he has to give effect to the provision of the Aarhus Convention which provides that public participation in environmental decision making, particularly in the context of decision making on genetically modified organisms, should take place at an early stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22790/98]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 323, 324 and 325 together.

I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 76, 87, 108, 293, 294, 295 and 297 of 13 October 1998. Decision making in respect of the environmental aspects of modern biotechnology is undertaken in accordance with the Genetically Modified Organisms Regulations 1994, and relevant EU Council Directives. An extensive public consultation process, which began with the publication of a consultation paper in August 1998, is under way to inform my review of national policy on genetically modified organisms and the environment.