AIE Legislation
The European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007 to 2014 (S.I. No. 133 of 2007, S.I. No. 662 of 2011, S.I. 615 of 2014 and S.I. 309 of 2018) (hereafter referred to as the AIE Regulations), give legal rights to those seeking to access information on the environment from public authorities.
These Regulations came into effect on 1 May 2007, repealing the previous legislation, the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 1998. S.I. 662 of 2011, S.I. 615 of 2014 and S.I. 309 of 2018 revised these regulations further.
Under these regulations, information relating to the environment held by, or for, a public authority must be made available on request, subject to certain exceptions. The AIE regulations also oblige public authorities to be proactive in disseminating environmental information to the public.
The AIE Regulations provide a definition of environmental information; outline the manner in which requests for information may be submitted to public authorities and the manner in which public authorities are required to deal with requests e.g. timeframes for response. The regulations also provide for a formal appeals procedure in the event that a person is unhappy with a decision on their request.
The amalgamation of these four pieces of legislation should be read together as one, and may be referred to as the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007 to 2018.
Difference between Access to Information on the Environment request and a Freedom of Information request
The Access to Information on the Environment Regulations operate in parallel with the Freedom of Information Act 2014. While the two legislative codes are broadly similar (with respect to environmental information), the AIE Regulations and the FOI Acts differ in that a wider range of public authorities are covered by the AIE Regulations than by the FOI legislation. There are also material differences in the grounds under which access to information can be refused under the two legislative codes.
Applications for Access to Information on the Environment should be made to foi@ihrec.ie
Address: FOI unit, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7, D07 CR20
When making a request for information under the Access to Information on the Environment Regulations you are required to:
- State that the application is being made under the AIE Regulations
- Submit it in writing by email or post
- Provide your contact details
- Specify the form and manner of access desired
Normally you will be notified of the decision on your request within 1 month of its receipt. Where, due to the complexity or volume of information required, we are unable to respond within the one month timeframe, we are required to write to you within the month, indicating when a response will issue. This date should not be more than two months from the receipt of the original request.
If you believe that your request for environmental information was refused (fully or in part) or was not properly handled in line with AIE Regulations, you may request that IHREC carry out an internal review of the decision in part or in whole by e-mailing foi@ihrec.ie . You must request this review within one month of receiving a decision. The review will be carried out by a member of staff, unconnected with the original decision, of the same rank or higher rank than the original decision maker.
No fee will be charged for the internal review process.
Within one month of receiving your review request, we will write to you to inform you of the decision and the reason for the decision. We will also advise you of your right of appeal to the Commissioner for Environmental Information.
A written appeal should be submitted to the Commissioner for Environmental Information at the:
Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information,
6 Earlsfort Terrace,
Dublin 2,
D02 W773.
Telephone: 01- 6395689
Further contact details and information on the Commissioner’s Office are contained on the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information (OCEI) website
The AIE Regulations provide that a fee of €50 must be charged for an appeal to the Commissioner for Environmental Information. However, provision is also made for a reduced appeal fee of €15 for medical card holders and their dependents and also for people, not party to the original request for access to information, who are appealing a decision to release information which they believe will affect them.