Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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152. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will expand the role and powers of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), given the number of offences and breaches committed by bodies operating under the remit of the EPA is increasing, with relatively little or no powers of sanction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49138/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Environmental Protection Agency is not only a key regulator in terms of protecting and improving our environment, it also plays a significant role in providing environmental evidence and statistics to inform policy and decision making as well as advocating for environmental sustainability and protection.

As a regulator, the Agency has significant powers under a suite of legislation which falls with the remit of my Department, including under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992. Persons found guilty of offences under that Act are liable to a fine of up to €3,000 or imprisonment for up to 12 months (or both) on summary conviction and a fine of up to €15,000,000 or imprisonment for up to 10 years (or both) on conviction on indictment.

The Agency is very active in terms of enforcing environmental legislation and provides details of same on www.epa.ie.