Information on the Environment

An tÚdarás has a statutory obligation to provide information in various ways, for example in its Annual Reports, under the Freedom of Information Acts, and under the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007 to 2014.

The Freedom of Information Act is not affected and continues to operate in parallel with these Regulations. A request for information or record may be made under either statutory provision as appropriate.

As an organisation dealing with industrial and employment promotion and with community, language and cultural development, Údarás na Gaeltachta has business property in each of the Gaeltacht counties, including land, buildings, industrial estates and business parks.

Among the types of information it holds are information on business premises, estates and business parks including:

• properties let to tenants,
• environmental information on certain projects supported by an tÚdarás,
• environmental impact studies for planning purposes,
• and health and safety files.

To submit a request under these Regulations, please send a request in writing to the following address that outlines the type of information you want:

The Information Officer
Corporate Secretariat Department
Údarás na Gaeltachta
Na Forbacha
Co. na Gaillimhe

H91 TY22

Alternatively, requests can be emailed to: asf@udaras.ie

Note: When writing your request make sure to state that you are seeking access to information under ‘the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007 to 2014′. Please include the following details:

• Your full name and address (and phone number if possible),
• The information or documents you would like to access, and,
• The way you would like the information to be sent to you (for example as hard copy, computer disk, via email, etc.).

You should be as clear and specific as possible in making your request and provide us with as much information as possible to enable us to identify the records that you require. If necessary, we will contact you to ensure we understand your request clearly. We will reply to you no later than 1 month after your application.

AIE Fees & Charges

The AIE regulations allow a public authority to charge a reasonable fee for the cost of supplying the environmental information; Article 15 is the relevant provision.  As per Circular AIE/2/2017, a public authority may charge for information supplied under the regulations. This charge may include not only postal and photocopying costs, but also to costs attributable to the time spent by staff on answering an individual request for information, which includes the time spent on searching for the information and putting it in the form required.

List of Fees

• €20 per hour for costs attributable to the time spent by staff on answering an individual request for information, time spent on searching for the information and putting it in the form required.
• €0.04 per page for copying records
• A charge of €10 applies to the provision of information on CD-ROM.

Limited Means

If you are advised of a charge and it is beyond your means, it is open to you to request that we reduce or waive the fee.  If you wish to pursue this option, we will require some evidence that your means are limited, for example, evidence that you hold a current medical card or are in receipt of a social welfare benefit.

The Directive covers information held in written, visual, aural, electronic or any other material form. There are 6 categories of information within this Directive:

1. The state of the elements of the environment, e.g. air, water, soil, land, landscape, biological diversity.
2. Factors affecting, or likely to affect, the elements of the environment, e.g. energy, noise, radiation, waste, other releases into the environment.
3. Measures designed to protect the elements of the environment, e.g. policies, legislation, plans, programmes, environmental agreements.
4. Reports on the implementation of environmental legislation.
5. Analyses and assumptions used within the framework of measures designed to protect the environment.
6. The state of human health and safety, the food chain, cultural sites and built structures inasmuch as they may be affected by the element of the environment.

If you are not satisfied with the response to your letter, you can request an internal review to an Officer of higher rank within Údarás na Gaeltachta. To request an internal review, write to us at the address above.  A fee is not charged for requesting an internal review.

If you are not satisfied with the response from that Officer, you can then contact the Office of the Information Commissioner to submit an appeal. A fee applies to this appeal. The following is a link to the website of the Office of the Information Commissioner. http://www.oic.gov.ie/en/