Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 7 November 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action

Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed)

Dr. Eimear Cotter:

I will first set out some of the functions of the EPA. We are the environmental regulator. We regulate 800 large industries, pharmaceuticals, waste and wastewater discharges from Uisce Éireann. We license and enforce those large operators around the country. That is a really important regulatory function that is carried out by the EPA, and that includes looking at water discharges, air and the full integrated environmental impact of large development.