Environmental monitoring

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a duty to monitor the environment. It is directed to have such monitoring carried out, under the EPA Act, 1992. It is specifically directed under the Water Framework Directive, Directive 2000/60/EC to prepare a monitoring programme for all waters.

 The monitoring programmes must specify:

• What should be monitored and where it should be carried out   
• Who should do it
• The resources required
• How the monitoring results will be disseminated

We prepare draft programmes and circulate them for comment to interested parties. Following consideration of comments received, we finalise and publish the programmes. Monitoring Programmes have been finalised for:

• Air Quality
• Groundwater
• Lakes
• Rivers
• Transitional and coastal waters