Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I am pleased to introduce the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025.

The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, plays a pivotal role in protecting, improving and restoring our environment through regulation, scientific knowledge and working with others. As part of this role, there are approximately 900 EPA licences in operation in Ireland which regulate large industrial installations in sectors such as waste, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, intensive agriculture, energy, food and drink production and cement production. Such installations are licensed under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 and the Waste Management Act 1996. Installations carrying out these activities are required to have an EPA licence - an industrial emissions, integrated pollution control or waste licence - in place before they can operate.

See this speech in context