Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 29: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he has taken to implement Directive 96/61/EC which requires industrial and agricultural activities with a high pollution potential to have a permit in order that the companies themselves bear responsibility for preventing and reducing any pollution they may cause; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30742/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Since 1994, an integrated pollution control (IPC) licensing system has been administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This system anticipated the provisions of the 1996 Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive and delivered substantial compliance with the Directive. A number of legislative changes were, however, necessary to complete Ireland's transposition of the Directive and these were introduced in 2003, to provide for implementation of the IPPC licensing system.

The EPA is the competent authority for the implementation of the IPPC Directive in Ireland. There are currently approximately 585 active IPPC licensed installations covering a range of large scale industrial and agricultural activities that have the potential to cause significant environmental pollution.

I am aware that the EPA had encountered difficulties in bringing the intensive pig and poultry sectors fully into the IPPC licensing system by the 30 October 2007 implementation deadline. The Office of Environmental Enforcement within the EPA has been investigating the installations in question and a number of successful prosecutions have been taken following site inspections.

I am satisfied that the EPA has sufficient powers to continue to take such action as is necessary to bring any installation operating above the IPPC licensing threshold into compliance with the Directive.