Just 10 of 31 local authorities pass tests for enforcing rules on water pollution, noise, waste

Only ten of the State’s 31 local authorities achieved the required standard in enforcement of environmental regulations in 2022, according to the latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In annual assessments of local authority performances, the EPA examined each local authority against each of 20 national enforcement priorities, under the themes of protection of water quality, waste management, air and noise pollution, and governance processes.

The 10 local authorities that achieved the required standard of 70 per cent or more in the assessments were Kildare, Meath, Fingal, Monaghan, Leitrim, Donegal, Cavan, Dublin City, Carlow and Cork County. This is up from five local authorities the previous year.

Four local authorities achieved the required standard in only 30 per cent or less of their assessments. These were Waterford, Offaly, Kilkenny and Wexford.

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Overall, the Focus on Local Authority Environmental Enforcement Performance Report 2022 found more than 520 local authority staff handled almost 70,000 complaints and carried out over 197,000 environmental inspections, in 2022,

But Dr Tom Ryan, director of the EPA’s office of environmental enforcement, said: “in many cases” local authority enforcement of environmental regulations “is not delivering the necessary environmental outcomes”.

“Local authorities have a vital statutory responsibility in the protection of our local environment and are responsible for enforcing much of our environmental protection legislation,” he said.

Dr Ryan said many key environmental indicators remained static or were “trending in the wrong direction”.

In relation to water quality, he said there was no significant improvement in quality in 2022, and more local authority farm inspections and enforcement are needed to reduce the impact of agricultural activities.

He said greater enforcement is needed by local authorities to ensure failed septic tank systems are fixed.

In the waste sector, Dr Ryan said poor waste segregation remains an ongoing problem with households and businesses still putting most of their waste in the wrong bin. Local authorities need to enforce the rollout and use of three-bin systems, to improve segregation and increase recycling of both household and commercial waste”.

The EPA report said overall water quality “is not good enough”, with just over half of rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters in satisfactory condition. Agriculture continues to have a significant impact on water quality, causing excess levels of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) to enter our waterways.

In terms of air and noise the EPA said local authorities assign a much lower level of resources to enforcement in this sector, than to waste and water enforcement.

Although air quality met the standards in the Cleaner Air for Europe Directive in 2022, the EPA found there remained localised issues relating to fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide that negatively affect people’s health.

The directive is EU legislation that aims to improve the quality of air in Europe and limit exposure to air pollution.

Greater local authority action is also needed to prevent noise pollution impacting on people’s health and wellbeing, the EPA said.