Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 October 2016
154. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the degree to which he remains satisfied that adequate measures continue to be taken to ensure environmental protection with particular reference to pollution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32293/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraRigorous implementation of environmental policy and legislation, underpinned by the principle of proportionality, is the appropriate approach to adopt in protecting our environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the independent statutory body responsible for protecting the environment in Ireland. The EPA performs a wide range of statutory functions in fulfilment of its mandate.
For example, the EPA has a key role in licensing facilities with the potential for significant environmental pollution, to ensure that their emissions do not endanger human health or harm the environment. The EPA is responsible for issuing Industrial Emission Directive Licenses; Integrated Pollution and Control (IPC) Licenses; Waste Licences; Waste Water Discharge Authorisations; Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Authorisations; and Radiological Protection Licences.
The EPA also encourages participation in its regulatory activities, through providing input to its decision making processes and reporting any negative environmental impacts from facilities that it licences such as odours, noise or water pollution. Currently there are approximately 800 industrial and waste facilities operating under EPA Licences.
While overall compliance with EPA Licences is good, the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement introduced a new methodology in 2015 for risk-ranking National Priority Sites which takes account of enforcement performance, giving a timely, dynamic and accurate picture of where regulatory responses should be directed.
It is recognised by the EPA that many pollution problems such as air quality, water pollution, odours and noise tend to be localised and can be masked by national level assessments. These localised problems can have severe impacts on the health and well-being of the people in individual communities and on the quality of the local environment. Making the link between environment and health is, therefore, of critical importance in both understanding and dealing with these problems. Targeting actions in the right places is also of critical importance to the EPA in addressing the problems in both an effective and efficient manner, and they are placing a particular focus on any licensed industrial, waste and waste water facilities creating nuisance for adjacent communities.
EPA prosecutions are particularly focussed on priority sites and issues. In 2015, the EPA conducted over 1,300 site visits at licensed facilities and 15 prosecutions were heard resulting in total fines and costs of over €20 million. 9 prosecutions were heard in the District Court in the first half of 2016, with summary proceedings progressing in relation to 19 sites.
The EPA operates in a transparent and open manner, publishing comprehensive details about its activities. A wealth of further information is therefore available to the public on www.epa.ie.
I have secured an additional €2m for the EPA in my Department's estimates for 2017 to, inter alia, support its enforcement activities.
