Environmental Pillar

Lobbying Organisation Environmental Pillar

Date published 16 Jan, 2018

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Environment

Period 1 Sep, 2017 to 31 Dec, 2017

Specific Details Request for action re very poor quality public consultation by DCCAE

Intended results Proper implementation of Public Consultation Guidelines and the provisions of the Aarhus Convention

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Michael Ewing

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (1)

Dear Minister Naughten, I write on behalf of the Environmental Pillar in respect of your review of the Ministerial Guidelines on the Access to Information on the Environment provisions. We very much welcome the review on what are now inadequate and out of date guidelines. We also welcome and acknowledge the invitation to the Pillar’s Facilitator for the Environmental Law Implementation Group, Ms Uí Bhroin to attend a scoping workshop yesterday with some of your officials. However, we understand, further to our questions yesterday, that it is not intended to provide for wider public participation on this important initiative. The Convention is not only concerned with the fundamental human rights of access to environmental information but also of public participation. Regulation 14.2 of the AIE regulations requires Public Authorities to have regard to the guidelines. Their content and presentation is therefore a matter of key public concern. At the session yesterday evening the

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Denis Naughten Minister (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)

Ross Elwood Special Advisor (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)