Overview

The EPA is responsible for the environmental regulation of large industrial and waste activities. Our objective is to ensure that operators carry on their activities in accordance with their EPA licences.

Our Office of Environmental Enforcement (OEE) works to achieve this objective through a combination of promoting compliance, providing guidance and assistance, monitoring compliance, inspections and sampling, and by taking enforcement actions where necessary. For more information on our activities, see Enforcing Licences, Permits and Authorisations.

The OEE Regional Enforcement Teams are based in our Headquarters in Wexford and in Dublin, Cork and Castlebar. The teams oversee compliance by the licensed sites operating in their regions.

Industrial and waste enforcement data

Icon of a factory

site visits

1202

site inspections carried in 2023. 91% of site inspections were unannounced

complaints

960 complaints received in 2023

90%

of complaints were for odour (47%) and noise (43%)

icon for incident

incidents

Incidents are categorised as minor, limited, serious, very serious or catastrophic

The vast majority of incidents reported are minor

corporate compliance

non-compliances

1457

Non-compliances recorded in 2023 across 418 different sites

information icon

compliance investigations

open investigations

115

42 of which were opened in 2023

Icon of Ireland

National Priority Sites

target enforcement effort at licensed operators

with the poorest environmental performance

Icon of trend line

financial provisions

value of financial provisions

€1068m

in place for financial provisions priority sites

Latest compliance & enforcement Publications

lake and  surrounding area
Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement

2022 Summary Report

This report summaries details of the OEE's enforcement activities at licensed industrial and waste sites for 2022.

Thumbnail of IND waster report thumbnail
EPA Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Report 2018

Report for 2018

This report focuses on the enforcement of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) industrial and waste licensed facilities in 2018 by the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement.

Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement - 202 Summary Report
EPA Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Report 2021

Summary report 2021

This report focuses on the enforcement of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) industrial and waste licensed facilities in 2022 by the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement.

Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement - 2020 Summary Report cover
EPA Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Report 2020

Summary Report for 2020

This report focuses on the enforcement of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) industrial and waste licensed facilities in 2020 by the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement.

Learn more 

Go to our interactive EPA map which shows the locations of industrial, waste and other licensed, permitted and authorised sites