Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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1232. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the persistent breaches of environmental legislation by a number of companies; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that penalties are light due to the fact the EPA prosecutes through the District Court; the reason the EPA does not prosecute companies through higher courts in order to ensure greater penalties are issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18938/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Sections 8 to 12 of the Environmental Protection Act, 1992, as amended, set out the provisions relating to offences, penalties, and prosecution of offences by the Agency. In particular, Section 11 of the 1992 Act provides that an offence under that Act may be prosecuted summarily by the Environmental Protection Agency. The matters raised therefore relate to functions of the Agency.