Access to Information on the Environment (AIE)
AIE Legislation
The European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 133 of 2007), gives legal rights to those seeking access to 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.
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.
An unofficial consolidation of the Regulations is available here.
Information relating to the environment held by, or for, a public authority must be made available on request to any person subject to certain exceptions.
The Regulations provide a definition of environmental information and outline the manner in which requests for information should be provided to public authorities. The Regulations also provide for a formal appeals procedure in the event that a person is unhappy with a decision on their request.
Making a Request
The Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) Regulations 2007-2018 gives you the right to access environmental information held by, or for, Public Authorities. If you wish to access environmental information held by GSOC, please apply to:
Freedom of Information Unit
GSOC
150 Upper Abbey Street
Dublin 1
D01 FT73
In order to make it easier for us to deal with your application please include the following in your request:
- Please state in your email/letter that your request is submitted under the AIE Regulations 2007-2018.
- Provide your contact details.
- Be specific, as much as is possible, about the information you require and the form and manner of access desired.
GSOC will publish all non-personal requests and replies online.
GSOC requires individuals to provide certain personal data in order to provide services and carry out the functions of the department. Your personal data may be exchanged with other government departments and agencies in certain circumstances, where lawful. Full details can be found in the Data Privacy Notice, which is available here or in hard copy upon request.
When can I expect a response to my request?
GSOC will notify you of the decision on your request within one month of our receiving it.
On receipt of an AIE request, GSOC will issue you with an acknowledgement letter outlining the date the request was received and the latest date by which a decision will be issued.
Will it cost me anything?
There is no fee to make a request under AIE Regulations. However, the regulations do allow us to charge a reasonable fee for the cost of supplying the environmental information.
GSOC has set the following charges:
- search, retrieval and copying of records: €20 per hour
- photocopy: €0.04 per sheet
- USB key: €10
Details of any charges that apply will be advised in the final decision letter. Please note that the fee may be waived where the cost is estimated at less than €100.
We may also disregard charges if the record contains only personal information and if, having regard to the means of the requester, it would not be reasonable to apply one.
What if I am unhappy with a decision?
You can request an internal review of the decision if your request for environmental information has been either wholly or partially refused, or if you believe it has not been dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the AIE Regulations. You should make this request for an internal review within one month of receiving the final decision.
Requests for internal reviews should be submitted to the FOI unit at the same details above.
The review will be carried out by a more senior member of staff. A written outcome of the review informing you of the decision, the reason for the decision and advising you of your right of appeal to the Commissioner for Environmental Information, including the time limits and fees associated with such an appeal, will be issued to you within one month of the date of receipt of the request.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of the internal review, you may ask the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information (OCEI) to review the matter. You should request an appeal to the OCEI within one month of receiving the decision of the internal review.
Information point
This website is an information point for the purpose of the AIE Directive. If you need further environmental information you may submit an AIE request or contact the Information Officer, as outlined above.
Further information
Further general information on the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007 – 2018, including background information on the legislation, useful publications and links to other relevant bodies is available in the AIE section of the website of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.