The Århus Convention Agreement
 (3 Main Points)

The Århus Convention establishes a number of rights of the public (citizens and their associations) with regard to the environment. Public authorities (at national, regional or local level) are to contribute to allowing these rights to become effective. The Convention provides for:

1. The right of everyone to receive environmental information that is held by public authorities (“access to environmental information”). This can include information on the state of the environment, but also on policies or measures taken, or on the state of human health and safety where this can be affected by the state of the environment. Citizens are entitled to obtain this information within one month of the request and without having to say why they require it. In addition, public authorities are obliged, under the Convention, to actively disseminate environmental information in their possession;
    

2. The right to participate from an early stage in environmental decision-making. Arrangements are to be made by public authorities to enable citizens and environmental organisations to comment on, for example, proposals for projects affecting the environment, or plans and programmes relating to the environment, these comments to be taken into due account in decision-making, and information to be provided on the final decisions and the reasons for it (“public participation in environmental decision-making”);
    

3. The right to challenge, in a court of law, public decisions that have been made without respecting the two aforementioned rights or environmental law in general (“access to justice”).

Above text taken from:  http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/aarhus/

National Development Plan

http://www.google.com/search?q=National+Development+Plan+Ireland&btnG=Google+Search

"The NDP is the largest and most ambitious investment plan ever drawn up for Ireland. It involves an investment of over EUR 52 billion of Public, Private and EU funds (in 1999 prices) over the period 2000-2006. The Plan involves significant investment in health services, social housing, education, roads, public transport, rural development, industry, water and waste services, childcare and local development."

The above quote was taken from http://www.ndp.ie on October 23rd 2004.
 

Constitutions

Bunreacht na hEireann:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Bunreacht+na+hEireann&btnG=Search
(Constitution of the Republic of Ireland)

Draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=European+Union+Constitution+&btnG=Search

Text of Draft Treaty:
http://europa.eu.int/futurum/constitution/index_en.htm

Text of Environment Section of Draft Treaty:
http://europa.eu.int/futurum/constitution/part3/title3/chapter3/section5/index_en.htm

Legal Aid

Legal Aid Board (Republic of Ireland)

Legal Aid Applications

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Legal+Aid+Board+Ireland+&btnG=Search

Checking and correcting unconstitutional legislation (Republic of Ireland):
http://www.oasis.gov.ie/government_in_ireland/the_constitution/
unconstitutional_legislation_and_decisions.html

Legislation and the role of the President of the Republic of Ireland:
http://www.oasis.gov.ie/government_in_ireland/government_and_politics_at_national_level/
president_of_ireland/president_and_legislation.html

Irish Legislation (BAILII):
http://www.bailii.org/ie/legis/num_act/

 Irish Legal Information Initiative (IRLII):
http://www.ucc.ie/law/irlii/index.php