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EPA Enforcement Efforts Targeted Unauthorised Peat Extraction, Waste Management & Water Quality.

The EPA carried out 1,295 inspections at EPA licensed sites during the year, a 19% increase, compared with 2020.
The EPA carried out a number of targeted enforcement campaigns in 2021.
48 inspections at unauthorised peat extraction sites.
41 inspections at waste licensed sites, with a focus on improving fire risk management.
The removal of 14 sites from the EPA’s Water Framework Directive Significant Pressure list.
Eleven sites were identified as National Priority Sites in 2021, a decrease from the twelve sites in 2020. Eight of these 11 National Priority Sites were from the Food & Drink and Intensive Agriculture sectors.

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its annual summary report on the enforcement activities carried out in 2021, along with the list of sites which were designated a National Priority Site during the year.

**The full list of National Priority Sites for 2021**.

This report shows that, despite the ongoing significant challenges and impact of Covid-19, the EPA increased their enforcement activities at industrial and waste licences at the 840 licenced installations throughout Ireland.

The report published today highlights the main issues at licensed activities during 2021 and outlines what actions the EPA took to enforce environmental conditions at these activities.

Individuals or companies who operate either without an EPA licence or breach that licence, were targeted by the EPA for enforcement.
The role of the public in reporting non-compliant or illegal operations to the EPA is a vital tool in helping us to address the environmental issues that may result and we encourage the public to report any concerns to the EPA.

Commenting on the publication of the annual summary report, Dr. Tom Ryan, Director, EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement said:
“The EPA focused its enforcement efforts in 2021 on tackling unauthorised extraction of peat, improving water quality downstream of licenced sites and the safe and appropriate management of waste.
Our enforcement activities are risk based and are targeted at sites that are not complying with their EPA licence requirements. We carried out almost 1,300 inspections of industrial and waste licensed activities and a further 55 inspections of unauthorised activities which require a licence or must cease operation.”

The EPA has also published the latest National Priority Sites List for 2021. The number of National Priority Sites in 2021 (11) was down slightly when compared with 2020 (12).
The EPA will continue to focus its resources where they are most needed and to ensure compliance at all sites.

Commenting on the publication, Mr. Darragh Page, Programme Manager, EPA Office of Environmental Enforcement said:
“The eleven sites on the National Priority Sites List in 2021 were the subject of targeted enforcement action. This represents around one per cent of the total sites licensed by the EPA. Sites from the food and drink and intensive agriculture sector made up almost three quarters of the sites on the National Priority Sites List during 2021.
These sectors must improve if Ireland is to support its green image of sustainable food and drink production.
Our enforcement objective is to ensure these sites resolve the environmental issues and for the sites to return to compliance.”

The report ‘Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Summary 2021’ is now available on the EPA HERE.

Tomorrow Saturday 11th December Holycross Village Christmas Market.

It’s almost here!! A community celebration, we are excited.

Our bigger, longer, outdoor Christmas Market is on tomorrow, Saturday December 11th, starting sharp at 1:00pm and continuing unto 4:00pm.

Families are welcome to the safety of the market for festivities. We are delighted that Santa Claus will visit us to meet both the small and the big children in our community.
Watch out for hampers, prizes and many surprises throughout the afternoon.
Local musicians are joining for a sing song and promising a great atmosphere.
Two favoured food vendors will have tasty hot lunches and 30 local fresh food & craft vendors will have both unique and festive handmade gifts and fresh produce to choose from.
So please shop local with us if you can.
Christmas Wish Ribbons will be available to hang on our Christmas tree with proceeds to a local charity.

See you there!
Find updates on our social media.

Tipperary Associated Venture Group To Deliver 5,000 Homes In Co. Dublin.

Business magnates Mr JP McManus and Mr John Magnier (Coolmore Stud, Co. Tipperary), together with Cork property developer Mr Michael O’Flynn, are partnering, to develop an 860-acre site in west Co. Dublin.

The Irish Times newspaper reports that this joint venture group, involving the aforementioned, are currently preparing a masterplan for this site, understood to be situated between Lucan and Castleknock.
The venture is expected to deliver more than 5,000 new homes, together with a large public park and other amenities.

Planning consultants for the trio have already engaged in early-stage discussions with South Dublin County Council and Fingal County Council on their plan to develop this extensive landbank, which is currently being used, for the most part, for agricultural purposes.

We understand that this venture group plan to develop about 400 acres of this site for housing, with more than 5,000 units envisaged, subject to planning permission, with 20% of this accommodation to be offered for social and affordable housing.

About 265 acres of the site would be set aside for a Liffey Valley public park at Edmundsbury, which would be handed over for community use.

EPA – Pace At Which Improvements In Waste Water Treatment Is Being Delivered Is Too slow.

Unacceptable delays and the pace at which essential improvements in waste water treatment are being delivered is too slow, says EPA.

34 towns and villages release raw sewage into the environment every day, and a third of these will continue to do so after 2024.
12 large towns and cities did not meet waste water treatment standards set to protect our environment. These areas generate half of Ireland’s waste water.
Ireland will need substantial and sustained investment to bring public waste water treatment up to standard.

The EPA report on Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2020, released today, shows that the pace at which essential improvements in waste water treatment are being delivered is too slow.

Irish Water is making progress in resolving environmental issues and the number of priority areas has reduced from 148 to 97 over the past four years. However, there is still a long way to go to bring all deficient treatment systems up to standard.

There have been further delays in providing treatment for many of the 34 towns and villages discharging raw sewage, and as a result over one third of these areas will not receive treatment until after 2024.

Investment in waste water infrastructure is bringing environmental benefits to some areas. The number of large towns and cities failing to meet EU treatment standards is down from 28 in 2017 to 12 in 2020. However, the final deadline for all large urban areas to meet these treatment standards was 2005.

Commenting on the report, Dr Tom Ryan, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement said: “It is unacceptable that 15 years after the final deadline to comply, half of Ireland’s urban waste water is still not treated to the basic EU standards. There are repeated delays in providing proper treatment at many areas, and this continues to put our environment and people’s health at risk. It is clear that Ireland will still need substantial investment over many years to bring our public waste water treatment plants and public sewers up to standard. Irish Water must deliver the essential infrastructure in as timely a manner as possible and resolve the underlying causes for the delays in upgrading treatment systems.”

The EPA report identifies the priority areas where improvements are most urgently needed and will deliver the greatest environmental benefits.

Mr Noel Byrne, EPA Programme Manager said: “While we are seeing progress at some areas, it is very concerning that Irish Water still has no clear action plans setting out when and how it will improve treatment at many of the priority areas where waste water is threatening the quality of our rivers and coastal waters. It is essential that Irish Water improves treatment to resolve the environmental issues highlighted by the EPA and provides clear, site specific action plans and time frames to carry out this work.”

The report contains key actions recommended for Irish Water as follows:

Direct resources to the priority areas and ensure there is a clear plan and time frame to resolve the environmental issues at each area.
Resolve the underlying causes for delays in upgrading treatment systems and deliver upgrade works in as timely a manner as possible.
Complete the impact assessments for shellfish waters and address the information shortfalls on the condition and performance of collecting systems.

The report is now available on the EPA Website.

Quirke Appeal Against Murder Conviction To Be Decided Next Week.

Mr Patrick Quirke from Breanshamore, in Co. Tipperary will learn, possibly on Tuesday next, whether his appeal regarding his conviction for murder has been successful.

The 52-year-old Mr Quirke has spent the past two years in Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, County Laois, where he is serving a life sentence for the murder of lorry driver and part-time Disc Jockey, Mr Bobby Ryan, in or about June 3rd 2011, at an unknown location. His guilt had been decided by a 10 – 2 jury verdict, following a 15-week trial.

It has been more than one year since Mr Quirke’s appeal against the court’s decision regarding the infamous love-rival killing in Co. Tipperary was first lodged. The Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with some 52 submissions of appeal by Mr Quirke, led to the unprecedented delay in the appeal case. However, it is understood that both defence and prosecution counsel were informed, on Wednesday last, that a judgment would be delivered early next week. If successful in his appeal, Mr Quirke’s conviction for the murder of Mr Ryan, will now be overturned.

The trial of Mr Quirke, in 2019 was the longest in the history of the Irish State, with the victim missing for some 22 months, before his body was eventually found in a disused run-off tank on Ms Mary Lowry’s land at Fawnagown, Co Tipperary, in April 2013.

Issues during the trial were raised about how Gardaí had handled the discovery of Mr Ryan’s body, with the court hearing details of how part of a concrete capping slab fell into the tank, possibly causing damage to the body of deceased in the process.