Enforcement
The Office of Environmental Enforcement within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is dedicated to the implementation and enforcement of environmental legislation in Ireland. Our aim is to improve compliance with environmental legislation in Ireland and ensure that those who flout the law and cause environmental pollution are held to account. Our Enforcement Policy sets out the general principles that the Office of Environmental Enforcement (OEE) follows in relation to enforcement and prosecution.
- It is directly responsible for enforcing EPA licences issued to waste, industrial and other activities.
- It supervises the environmental protection activities of local authorities by auditing their performance, providing advice and guidance, and, in appropriate cases, giving binding directions. In this respect, the OEE is a resource for members of the public who have exhausted all other avenues of complaint.
We work with local authorities and other public sector bodies involved in enforcement activities, including the Fisheries Boards, the Health Services Executive, an Garda Siochana, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Revenue Commissioners and the Office of Corporate Enforcement.