What is Access to information on the environment?
Access to information on the environment is important to enable members of the public to know and understand what is happening in the environment around them. It also assists the public to participate in environmental decision making in an informed manner.
The access to information on the environment (AIE) regulations give citizens the right to access environmental information held by, or for, the MARA and other public authorities.
What can I ask for?
You can ask for environmental information held by, or for, MARA. Environmental information is defined in the AIE regulations and determines what is available under the AIE regulations.
The AIE Regulations provide a definition of environmental information and outline the manner in which requests for information should be made to the MARA. Environmental information can be held in any material form including electronic, written, visual or aural.
How do I make an AIE request?
Email the AIE officer at AIE@mara.gov.ie or write to:
AIE Unit
Access to Information on the Environment,
Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA),
2nd Floor,
Menapia House,
Drinagh Business Park,
Drinagh,
Wexford,
Y35RF29.
In your correspondence you should:
- State that your request is being made under the AIE Regulations,
- Give your name, address and any other relevant contact details,
- Be as specific as possible-tell us what environmental information you require.
Your personal data may be exchanged with other government departments and agencies in certain circumstances, where lawful. Full details can be found in the AIE Data Privacy Notice, which is available or in hard copy upon request.
Decision on a request
A decision on your request may be to grant, part grant or refuse the information requested and will issue as soon as possible but no later than one month from the date of receipt of your request. There is provision in the regulations to extend this one month period under certain circumstances.
The regulations set out mandatory and discretionary grounds for refusal of information. In either case MARA must specify in writing the reasons for refusal.
Where the information is held by a public authority other than the MARA we will either refer your request directly to the appropriate public authority or advise you of the appropriate public authority to whom your request should be directed.
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:
AIE Unit
Access to Information on the Environment,
Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA),
2nd Floor,
Menapia House,
Drinagh Business Park,
Drinagh,
Wexford,
Y35RF29.
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.
Do I have to pay?
There is no fee to make a request under AIE Regulations. However, the regulations do allow a public authority to charge a reasonable fee for the cost of supplying the environmental information.
MARA has set the following charges:
- search, retrieval and copying of records: €20 per hour, photocopy: €0.04 per sheet
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.
Assistance in making requests
If you have any queries the AIE Officer may be contacted by telephone at +353 (0)53 910 5716 or by email at AIE@mara.gov.ie
Publication
MARA publishes all non-personal requests on it’s website. online. MARA was established on the 17th July 2023 so information relating to the year 2023, will appear in the 2023 statistics which will be published in 2024.
View AIE Statistics
Learn more
The Department of the Environment, Climate & Communications has overarching policy responsibility for AIE in Ireland. Further information is available on their website;
- View the AIE Legislation
- View the European Directive
- View the Guidelines
AIE Privacy Statement
PDF – 837 KB