1.—This Act may be cited as the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992.

2.—(1) Part I (other than section 18 (1)), Part II (other than section 43), Part III, Part IV (other than section 93) and Part VI will come into operation on the passing of this Act.

(2) The remaining provisions of this Act shall come into operation on such day or days as may be fixed therefor by any order or orders of the Minister, either generally or with reference to any particular purpose or provision or with reference to a particular area or areas, and different days may be so fixed for different purposes and different provisions of this Act and for different areas.

F1[3.—(1) In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires—

"activity" means any process, development or operation specified in the First Schedule and carried out in an installation;

"the Act of 1996" means the Waste Management Act 1996;

"the Act of 2000" means the Planning and Development Act 2000;

F2["the Act of 2022" means the Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Act 2022;]

"the Agency" shall be construed in accordance with section 19(1);

"atmosphere" means the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth, and includes air;

"authorised person" means a person who is appointed in writing by the Minister, a local authority, the Agency or such other person as may be prescribed to be an authorised person for the purposes of this Act or any Part or section thereof;

F3["BAT conclusions" means a document containing the parts of a BAT reference document laying down the conclusions on best available techniques, their description, information to assess their applicability, the emission levels associated with the best available techniques, associated monitoring, associated consumption levels and, where appropriate, relevant site remediation measures;

"BAT reference document" in relation to an industrial emissions directive activity, means a document drawn up by the Commission of the European Union in accordance with Article 13 of the Industrial Emissions Directive, resulting from the exchange of information in accordance with that Article of that Directive and describing, in particular, applied techniques, present emissions and consumption levels, techniques considered for the determination of best available techniques as well as BAT conclusions and any emerging techniques, particular consideration having been given to the same matters as are specified in subparagraphs (i) to (xii) of section 5(3)(b);]

F2["designated application" means an application made to the Agency for a licence under Part IV in relation to designated development, after an application has been made under section 4 of the Act of 2022 to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for approval under section 7 of that Act to carry out the designated development, and does not include an application made to the Agency—

(a) for a revised licence under Part IV, or

(b) by the licensee under section 90(1)(b) for a review of a licence or a revised licence;]

F2["designated development" has the same meaning as it has in the Act of 2022;]

"development" has the meaning assigned to it by section 3 of the Act of 2000;

"the Directive" shall be construed in accordance with section 3A(1);

"disposal", in relation to waste, has the meaning assigned to it by the Act of 1996;

F4["EIA Directive" means Directive No. 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011³ on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014⁴;]

F3["emerging technique" means a novel technique for an industrial emissions directive activity that, if commercially developed, could provide either a higher general level of protection of the environment or at least the same level of protection of the environment and higher cost savings than existing best available techniques;]

"emission" means, in relation to an activity referred to in F5[Part IV, IVA, IVB or IVC], any direct or indirect release of substances, heat or noise from individual or diffuse sources in the activity into the atmosphere, water or land, and includes—

(a) an emission into the atmosphere of a pollutant within the meaning of the Air Pollution Act 1987,

(b) the release of a greenhouse gas or a precursor of a greenhouse gas into the atmosphere,

(c) a discharge of polluting matter, sewage effluent or trade effluent within the meaning of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977, to waters or sewers within the meaning of that Act, or

(d) waste,

but does not include a radioactive substance within the meaning of Council Directive 96/29/Euratom¹, a genetically modified micro-organism within the meaning of Council Directive 90/219/EEC² or a genetically modified organism within the meaning of Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council³;

F3["emission levels associated with the best available techniques" means the range of emission levels obtained under normal operating conditions using a best available technique or a combination of best available techniques, as described in BAT conclusions, expressed as an average over a given period of time, under specified reference conditions;]

"emission limit value" means the mass, expressed in terms of a specific parameter, concentration or level of an emission, or both a specific concentration and level of an emission, which may not be exceeded during one or more periods of time;

"employee of the Agency" does not include the Director General or other Director of the Agency;

"enactment" includes any instrument made under an enactment;

F6[“environmental impact assessment” shall be construed in accordance with section 83(2A);]

F4[“environmental impact assessment report” shall be construed in accordance with section 83(2A)(dd);]

F7[…]

F8[“environmental impact statement” means a statement of the direct and indirect effects that a proposed activity will have or is likely to have on the environment and shall include the information specified in Annex IV to Directive No. 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011¹ on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment;]

"environmental protection", "environmental pollution", "environmental medium" and "environmental quality standard" have the meanings respectively assigned to them by section 4;

"established activity" means—

(a) an activity which on 29 October 1999, or such other date as may be prescribed in relation to the activity, was being carried on and did not involve or have an association with unauthorised development within the meaning of the Act of 2000, or

(b) an activity—

(i) in respect of which permission under section 34 of the Act of 2000 had been granted, or an application for such permission had been made, before 30 October 1999, or such other date as may be prescribed in relation to the activity, and

(ii) which on 29 October 2000, or such other date as may be prescribed in relation to the activity—

(I) was being carried on, and

(II) did not involve or have an association with unauthorised development within the meaning of the Act of 2000;

"functions" includes powers and duties;

"greenhouse gas" means—

(a) carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride, any hydrofluorocarbon or any perfluorocarbon, and

(b) such other gases as may be prescribed,

in so far as the emission of any such gas contributes to global climate change;

F3["groundwater" has the meaning assigned to it by Regulation 3 of the European Communities Environmental Objectives (Groundwater) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 9 of 2010);

"hazardous substances" means substances or mixtures as defined in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No. 1272/20081 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures;

"hazardous waste" means waste that displays one or more of the properties which render it hazardous specified in the Second Schedule (amended by Regulation 24 of the European Communities (Waste Directive) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 126 of 2011)) to the Act of 1996;

"industrial emissions directive activity" means a process, development or operation specified in paragraph 1.1.1, 2.1, 3.1.1, 3.2.1, 3.3.1, 3.4.1, 3.6.1, 4.2.1, 4.3, 5.12, 5.13, 5.14, 5.15, 5.16, 5.17, 6.1, 6.2, 7.2.1, 7.4.1, 7.7.1, 7.8, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.5.1, 8.6.1, 8.7, 9.3.1, 9.4.1, 9.4.2, 9.4.3, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 11.1 (in so far as the process, development or operation specified in paragraph 11.1 is carried on in an installation connected or associated with another activity that is an industrial emissions directive activity), 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6, 11.7, 12.2.1, 12.3, 13.4.1, 13.5 or 13.6 of the First Schedule (amended by Regulation 23 of the European Union (Industrial Emissions) Regulations) and carried out in an installation and an activity shall not be taken to be an industrial emissions directive activity if it is carried out at an installation solely used for research, development or testing of new products and processes;

"Industrial Emissions Directive" means Directive 2010/75/EU2 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) (Recast);]

"installation" means a stationary technical unit or plant where the activity concerned referred to in the First Schedule is or will be carried on, and shall be deemed to include any directly associated activity, whether licensable under this Part or not, which has a technical connection with the first-mentioned activity and is carried out on the site of that activity;

F3["integrated pollution control activity" means a process, development or operation specified in paragraph 1.1.2, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 3.1.2, 3.2.2, 3.3.2, 3.4.2, 3.5, 3.6.2, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.1, 4.2.2, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 5.11, 7.1, 7.2.2, 7.3.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.3, 7.4.2, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7.2, 8.4, 8.5.2, 8.6.2, F9[8.8,] 9.1, 9.2, 9.3.2, 9.4.4, 10.1, 11.1 (in so far as the process, development or operation specified in paragraph 11.1 is carried on in an installation connected or associated with another activity that is an integrated pollution control activity), 12.1, 12.2.2, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3 or 13.4.2 of the First Schedule (amended by Regulation 23 of the European Union (Industrial Emissions) Regulations) and carried out in an installation;]

F10["ionising radiation" has the same meaning as it has in the Radiological Protection Act 1991;]

"land" includes soil;

"local authority" means—

(a) in the case of a city, the city council, and

(b) in the case of a county, the county council,

and references to the functional area of a local authority shall be construed accordingly;

"the Minister" means the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government;

"monitoring" includes the inspection, measurement, sampling or analysis for the purposes of this Act of any emission, or of any environmental medium in any locality, whether periodically or continuously;

"noise" includes vibration;

"occupier", in relation to any installation or premises, includes the owner, a lessee, any person entitled to occupy the installation or premises and any other person having, for the time being, control of the installation or premises;

"person in charge" includes an occupier of an installation or premises or a manager, supervisor or operator of an activity;

"planning authority" has the meaning assigned to it by the Act of 2000;

"plant" includes any equipment, appliance, apparatus, machinery, works, building or other structure or any land or any part of any land which is used for the purposes of, or incidental to, any activity specified in the First Schedule;

"premises" includes any messuage, building, vessel, structure or land (whether or not there are structures on the land or whether or not the land is covered with water) or any hereditament of any tenure, together with any out-buildings and curtilage;

"prescribed" means prescribed by regulations by the Minister under this Act;

"previous Part IV" shall be construed in accordance with section 82(1);

"public authority" means—

(a) a Minister of the Government,

(b) the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland,

(c) a local authority for the purposes of the Local Government Act 2001,

(d) a harbour authority within the meaning of the Harbours Act 1946,

(e) a health board,

(ii) the Eastern Regional Health Authority, or

(iii) an Area Health Board established under the Health (Eastern Regional Health Authority) Act 1999,

(f) a board or other body (but not including a company under the Companies Act 1963 to 2001) established by or under statute,

(g) a company under the Companies Acts 1963 to 2001, in which all the shares are held—

(i) by or on behalf of a Minister of the Government,

(ii) by directors appointed by a Minister of the Government, or

(iii) by a board or other body referred to in paragraph (f) or by a company to which subparagraph (i) or (ii) applies,

(h) such other body as may be prescribed for the purposes of any provisions of this Act;

"public place" includes any place to which the public have access, whether by right or by permission, or whether subject to, or free of charge;

F11["radioactive substance" has the same meaning as it has in the Radiological Protection Act 1991;]

F10["radiological protection" means the prevention, limitation, elimination, abatement or reduction of the harmful effects of ionising radiation;]

"recovery", in relation to waste, has the meaning assigned to it by the Act of 1996;

"sanitary authority" means a sanitary authority for the purposes of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Acts 1878 to 2001;

"soil" means the top layer of the land surface of the earth that is composed of disintegrated rock particles, humus, water and air;

"statutory undertaker" has the meaning assigned to it by the Act of 2000;

"vessel" means a waterborne craft of any type, whether self propelled or not, and includes an air cushion craft and any structure in or on water;

F12["waste" means any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard;]

"waste management plan" means a waste management plan or a hazardous waste management plan within the meaning of the Act of 1996 that is for the time being in force;

"waters" has the meaning assigned to it by the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977;

"works", in relation to sections 106 and 107, has the meaning assigned to it by the Act of 2000.

(2) In this Act a reference to—

(a) the date on which a licence or revised licence is granted is a reference to the date on which the licence or revised licence is sealed with the seal of the Agency, and

(b) the date on which a decision by the Agency to refuse a licence or a revised licence is made is a reference to the date on which that decision, as reduced to writing, is so sealed.

F13[(2A) Subject to this Act, a word or expression that is used in this Act and that is also used in F14[EIA Directive] has, unless the context otherwise requires, the same meaning in this Act as it has in that Directive.]

F15[(2B) Subject to this Act, a word or expression that is used in this Act in so far as it relates to an industrial emissions directive activity and that is also used in the Industrial Emissions Directive has, unless the context otherwise requires, the same meaning in this Act as it has in that Directive.]

(3) In this Act a reference to a section, Part or Schedule, is a reference to a section or Part of, or a Schedule to, this Act, unless it is indicated that reference to some other enactment is intended.

(4) In this Act a reference to a subsection, paragraph or subparagraph is a reference to the subsection, paragraph or subparagraph of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicated that reference to some other provision is intended.

(5) In this Act a reference to any enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended or adapted by or under this or any subsequent enactment.

(6) The activities to which this Act applies include activities operated by or in the charge of the State.]

3A.—(1) The purposes for which the amendments of this Act by the Protection of the Environment Act 2003 are made include the purpose of giving effect to F17[Directive 2008/1/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008] concerning integrated pollution prevention and control¹ (in this Act referred to as "the Directive").

(2) F18[…]

(3) F18[…]]

3B.—The Minister may by regulations amend the First Schedule if either or both of the following conditions is or are satisfied—

(a) as a result of an act adopted by an institution of the European Communities, the continued operation of that Schedule and section 82 would, unless such amendment were to be made, not be in conformity with that act,

(b) the amendment proposed to be made does not, in the opinion of the Minister, involve any deviation from the principles or policies of that Schedule and section 82.]

3C. (1) The amendments of this Act effected by the European Union (Industrial Emissions) Regulations 2013 are made for the purpose of giving effect to the Industrial Emissions Directive.

(2) The Agency shall be the competent authority for the purposes of the Industrial Emissions Directive.

(3) As competent authority for the purposes of the Industrial Emissions Directive, the Agency shall, amongst other things—

(a) keep itself informed of developments in best available techniques and of the publication of any new or updated BAT conclusions and shall make that information publicly available,

(b) maintain such data and information, provide for the supply of data to the Commission of the European Union and undertake such reporting as may be necessary for the proper implementation of relevant Union acts (including compliance with the requirements of Article 72(1) of the Industrial Emissions Directive), and

(c) when requested to do so by the Minister, participate in the Committee to assist the Commission of the European Union on the basis provided for in Article 75 of the Industrial Emissions Directive.]

4.—(1) In this Act "environmental protection" includes—

(a) the prevention, limitation, elimination, abatement or reduction of environmental pollution, and

(b) the preservation of the quality of the environment as a whole.

(2) In this Act "environmental pollution" means the direct or indirect introduction to an environmental medium, as a result of human activity, of substances, heat or noise which may be harmful to human health or the quality of the environment, result in damage to material property, or impair or interfere with amenities and other legitimate uses of the environment, and includes—

(a) "air pollution" for the purposes of the Air Pollution Act 1987,

(b) the condition of waters after the entry of polluting matter within the meaning of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977,

(c) in relation to waste, the holding, transport, recovery or disposal of waste in a manner which would, to a significant extent, endanger human health or harm the environment and, in particular—

(i)   create a risk to the atmosphere, waters, land, plants or animals,

(ii)   create a nuisance through noise, odours or litter, or

(iii) adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest,

(d) noise which is a nuisance, or would endanger human health or damage property or harm the environment.

(3) In this Act "environmental medium" includes the atmosphere, waters and land.

(4) In this Act "environmental quality standard" means the set of requirements which must be fulfilled at a given time by a given environment or environmental medium or any part thereof, as specified in any enactment or enactments, or in any act or acts adopted by an institution of the European Communities.]

5.—(1) A reference in this Act to best available techniques shall be construed as a reference to the most effective and advanced stage in the development of an activity and its methods of operation, which indicate the practical suitability of particular techniques for providing, in principle, F23[the basis for emission limit values, and in the case of an industrial emissions directive activity other additional licence conditions, designed to prevent] or eliminate or, where that is not practicable, generally to reduce an emission and its impact on the environment as a whole.

(2) In subsection (1)—

(a) "best", in relation to techniques, means the most effective in achieving a high general level of protection of the environment as a whole;

(b) "available techniques" means those techniques developed on a scale which allows implementation in the relevant class of activity specified in the First Schedule, under economically and technically viable conditions, taking into consideration the costs and advantages, whether or not the techniques are used or produced within the State, as long as they are reasonably accessible to the person carrying on the activity;

(c) "techniques" includes both the technology used and the way in which the installation is designed, built, managed, maintained, operated and decommissioned.

(3) (a) For the purposes of subsection (1), the Agency—

(i) may from time to time as occasion requires, and

(ii) shall in accordance with any regulations made by the Minister,

specify best available techniques to provide, in principle, F24[the basis for emission limit values, and in the case of an industrial emissions directive activity other additional licence conditions, for an activity] or activities of a particular class or description, and regard shall be had in the administration of this Act to any such specifications. The Agency, in preparing any such specification, may, by publication of a notice in such manner as it thinks appropriate, invite submissions or observations to be made to it in relation to the terms of the proposed specification.

(b) In specifying best available techniques in accordance with paragraph (a) or otherwise determining best available techniques for the purposes of this Act, the Agency shall, having regard to the likely costs and advantages of measures and to the principles of precaution and prevention, consider in particular—

(i) the use of low-waste technology,

(ii) the use of less hazardous substances,

(iii) the furthering of recovery and recycling of substances generated and used in the process and of waste, where appropriate,

(iv) comparable processes, facilities or methods of operation, which have been tried with success on an industrial scale,

(v) technological advances and changes in scientific knowledge and understanding,

(vi) the nature, effects and volume of the emissions concerned,

(vii) the commissioning dates for new or existing activities,

(viii) the length of time needed to introduce the best available techniques,

(ix) the consumption and nature of raw materials (including water) used in the process and their energy efficiency,

(x) the need to prevent or reduce to a minimum the overall impact of the emissions on the environment and the risks to it,

(xi) the need to prevent accidents and to minimise the consequences for the environment, and

(xii) the information published by the Commission of the European Communities pursuant to any exchange of information between Member States and the industries concerned on best available techniques, associated monitoring, and developments in them, or by international organisations,

and such other matters as may be prescribed.

(4) Whenever the Agency prepares a specification under subsection (3), it shall, as soon as may be, cause—

(a) a copy of such specification to be sent to the Minister, each local authority, An Bord Pleanála and such other bodies, if any, as may be prescribed,

(b) notice of the preparation of the specification to be published in Iris Oifigiúil,

(c) notice of the preparation of the specification to be given to every person who made to the Agency submissions or observations concerning the specification in response to an invitation of the Agency made under subsection (3)(a), and

(d) a copy of the specification to be made available to every person who makes application for such a copy on payment of such fee (if any) as the Agency shall fix not exceeding the reasonable cost of making such a copy.]

6.—(1) The Minister may make regulations prescribing any matter or thing which is referred to in this Act as prescribed or to be prescribed or in relation to any matter referred to in this Act as the subject of regulations or for the purpose of giving full effect to this Act.

(2) Regulations made under this Act may make different provisions in relation to different areas, different circumstances and different classes of cases.

(3) Every regulation made under this Act F25[(other than regulations made under section 99)] shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling the regulation is passed by either such House within the next twenty-one days on which that House has sat after the regulation is laid before it, the regulation shall be annulled accordingly but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.

F26[(4) Where it is proposed to make regulations under section 99, a draft of the regulations shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the regulations shall not be made until a resolution approving of the draft has been passed by each such House.]

7.—(1) The Minister may, by order, revoke or amend any order made by him under this Act, other than an order under section 2, 19 (2) or 32 (1).

(2) F27[In addition to and not in substitution for the power conferred by section 3B, the Minister may], by order, after consultation with the Agency, revoke or amend the First Schedule or the Second Schedule.

(3) Where it is proposed to make an order under subsection (2) or under section 21 (6) (a), 100, 101 or 102 a draft of the order shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the order shall not be made until a resolution approving of the draft has been passed by each such House.

(4) Every order made under this Act, other than an order made under subsection (2) or (3), shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made.

8.—(1) Any person who contravenes any provision of this Act or of any regulation made under this Act or of any order made under this Act or of any notice served under this Act shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Where an offence under this Act is committed by a body corporate or by a person acting on behalf of a body corporate and is proved to have been so committed with the consent, connivance or approval of, or to have been facilitated by any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary or any other officer of such body, such person shall also be guilty of an offence.

(3) In this section, a reference to the contravention of a provision includes, where appropriate, a reference to a refusal, or a failure, to comply with that provision.

9.—(1) A person guilty of an offence under this Act shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding F28[€3,000], or to imprisonment for any term not exceeding twelve months or, at the discretion of the court, to both such fine and such imprisonment, or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding F29[€15,000,000] or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or, at the discretion of the court, to both such fine and such imprisonment.

(2) In imposing any penalty under subsection (1) the court shall, in particular, have regard to the risk or extent of damage to the environment F30[, and any remediation required,] arising from the act or omission constituting the offence.

(3) Where a person, after conviction of an offence under this Act, continues to contravene the provision, he shall be guilty of an offence on every day on which the contravention continues and for each such offence he shall be liable to a fine, on summary conviction, not exceeding F31[€1,000] or, on conviction on indictment, not exceeding F31[€130,000].

10.—Where a court imposes a fine or affirms or varies a fine imposed by another court for an offence under this Act, prosecuted by the Agency, it shall, on the application of the Agency (made before the time of such imposition, affirmation or variation), provide by order for the payment of the amount of the fine to the Agency and such payment may be enforced by the Agency, as if it were due to it on foot of a decree or order made by the court in civil proceedings.

11.—(1) An offence under this Act may be prosecuted summarily by the Agency.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the Minister may, by regulations, provide that an offence under this Act, specified in the regulations, may be prosecuted summarily by such person (including the Minister) as may be so specified.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10 (4) of the Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act, 1851, summary proceedings for an offence under this Act may be commenced—

(a) at any time within twelve months from the date on which the offence was committed, or

(b) at any time within six months from the date on which evidence sufficient, in the opinion of the person by whom the proceedings are initiated, to justify the proceedings, comes to such person's knowledge,

whichever is the later: provided that no such proceedings shall be initiated later than five years from the date on which the offence concerned was committed.

(4) For the purposes of this section, a certificate signed by or on behalf of the person initiating the proceedings as to the date on which evidence relating to the offence came to his knowledge shall be prima facie evidence thereof and in any legal proceedings a document purporting to be a certificate issued for the purposes of this subsection and to be so signed shall be deemed to be so signed and shall be admitted as evidence without proof of the signature of the person purporting to sign the certificate, unless the contrary is shown.

12.—Where a person is convicted of an offence under this Act committed after the commencement of this section, the court shall, unless it is satisfied that there are special and substantial reasons for not so doing, order the person to pay to the Agency the costs and expenses, measured by the court, incurred by the Agency in relation to the investigation, detection and prosecution of the offence, including costs and expenses incurred in the taking of samples, the carrying out of tests, examinations and analyses and in respect of the remuneration and other expenses of directors, employees, consultants and advisers.

13.—(1) An authorised person shall, for any purpose connected with this Act, be entitled, at all reasonable times, to enter any premises and to bring therein such other persons (including members of the Garda Síochána) or equipment as he may consider necessary for the purpose.

(2) Subject to subsection (6), an authorised person shall not, other than with the consent of the occupier, enter into a private dwelling unless he has given to the occupier of the dwelling not less than 24 hours notice in writing of his intended entry.

(3) Every authorised person shall be furnished with a certificate of his appointment and, when exercising any power conferred on him by or under this Act, the authorised person shall, if requested by any person affected, produce the certificate to that person.

(4) Whenever an authorised person enters any premises pursuant to this section, he may therein—

(a) make such plans, take such photographs F32[, record such information on data loggers, make such tape, electrical, video or other recordings] and carry out such inspections,

(b) make such tests F33[, make such copies of documents and records (including records held in electronic form) found therein and take such samples],

(c) require from the occupier of the premises or any person employed on the premises or from any other person on the premises F34[such information,]

(d) inspect such plant, vehicles, records F35[(including records held in electronic form) and documents, or]

F36[(e) remove and retain such documents and records (including records held in electronic form) for such period as may be reasonable for further examination,]

as he, having regard to all the circumstances, considers necessary for the purposes of, and exercising any power conferred on him by or under, this Act.

(5) Any person who—

(a) refuses to allow an authorised person to enter any premises or to take any person or equipment with him in the exercise of his powers under this section,

(b) obstructs or impedes an authorised person in the exercise of any of the powers conferred on him by this section,

(c) gives, either to an authorised person or to the Agency, information which is false or misleading in a material respect, or

(d) fails or refuses to comply with any requirement of this section,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(6) Where an authorised person in the exercise of his powers under this section is prevented from entering any premises, or where he has reason to believe that evidence related to a suspected offence under this Act may be removed or destroyed, the authorised person or the person by whom he was appointed may apply to the District Court for a warrant authorising such entry.

(7) The Minister may make regulations for the purposes of this section.

(8) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (7), regulations under this section may provide for all or any of the following matters—

(a) the taking of samples and the carrying out of tests, examinations and analyses,

(b) the specification of the classes of persons to be responsible for taking such samples and for the carrying out of such tests, examinations and analyses, or

(c) the specification of the certificate or other evidence to be given of the result of any such test, examination or analysis and the class or classes of person by whom such certificate or evidence is to be given.

(9) Any certificate or other evidence given or to be given in respect of any prescribed test, examination or analysis of any sample shall in relation to that sample be evidence, without further proof, of the result of the test, examination or analysis unless the contrary is shown.

14.—(1) Any notice required to be served or given by or under this Act shall be addressed to the person concerned and served or given in one of the following ways—

(a) by addressing it to him by name and delivering it to him,

(b) by leaving it at the address at which he ordinarily resides,

(c) by sending it by post in a prepaid registered letter addressed to him at the address at which he ordinarily resides,

(d) if an address for the service of notices has been furnished by him, by leaving it at, or sending it by prepaid registered post addressed to him to, that address, F37[…]

(e) where the address at which he ordinarily resides cannot be ascertained by reasonable inquiry and notice is required to be served on, or given to, him in respect of any premises, process, works or development, by delivering it to a person over the age of 16 years employed thereon or resident in the premises, or by affixing it in a conspicuous position on or near the premises, process, works or F38[development, or]

F39[(f) by such other means as may be prescribed.]

(2) Where the name of the person concerned cannot be ascertained by reasonable inquiry, a notice under this Act may be addressed to “the occupier”, “the owner” or “the person in charge”, as the case may be.

(3) For the purposes of this section, a company registered under the Companies Acts, 1963 to 1990, shall be deemed to be ordinarily resident at its registered office, and every other body corporate and every unincorporated body shall be deemed to be ordinarily resident at its principal office or place of business.

(4) A person shall not at any time during the period of three months after a notice is affixed under subsection (1) (e) remove, damage or deface the notice without lawful authority.

15.—No action or other proceedings shall lie or be maintainable against the Agency or any body referred to in section 44 or 45 for the recovery of damages in respect of any injury to persons, damage to property or other loss alleged to have been caused or contributed to by a failure to perform or to comply with any of the functions conferred on the said Agency or body.

16.—Where the Agency is satisfied that the Director General or other director or F40[authorised person or inspector] F41[of the Agency], or any other employee of the Agency has discharged his duties in relation to the enforcement of the relevant statutory provisions in a bona fide manner, it shall indemnify the Director General or other director or F40[authorised person or inspector] of the Agency or any other employee of the Agency, against all actions or claims howsoever arising in respect of the discharge by him of his duties.

17.—The expenses incurred by the Minister in the administration of this Act shall, to such extent as may be sanctioned by the Minister for Finance, be paid out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas.

18.—(1) Section 51 of the Act of 1963 is hereby repealed.

(2) The Air Pollution Act, 1987, is hereby amended as provided for in the Third Schedule.

19.—(1) There shall be a body to be known as An Ghníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú Comhshaoil or, in the English language, the Environmental Protection Agency (in this Act referred to as the Agency) to perform the functions assigned to it by or under this Act.

(2) The Agency shall stand established on such day as the Minister by order appoints.

F42[(3) The Agency shall consist of a Director General and five other Directors.]

20.—(1) The Agency shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a seal and power to sue and be sued in its corporate name and to acquire, hold and dispose of land.

(2) The Agency shall provide itself with a seal.

(3) The seal of the Agency shall be authenticated by the signature of the Director General or of some other director or of a person, being an employee of the Agency or a person whose services are availed of by, or supplied to, the Agency under section 44, authorised by the Agency to act in that behalf.

(4) Judicial notice shall be taken of the seal of the Agency and every document purporting to be an instrument made by the Agency and to be sealed with the seal (purporting to be authenticated in accordance with subsection (3)) of the Agency shall be received in evidence and be deemed to be such instrument without proof, unless the contrary is shown.

21.—(1) The Director General shall be appointed by the Government.

(2) A committee shall be established consisting of—

(a) the Secretary to the Government,

(b) the Secretary of the Department of the Environment,

(c) the Chairperson of the Council of An Taisce—the National Trust for Ireland,

(d) the Managing Director of the Industrial Development Authority,

(e) the General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and

(f) the Chief Executive of the Council for the Status of Women.

F43[(g) such person having relevant experience in relation to radiological protection as the Minister shall appoint.]

(3) Where the Minister makes a request under subsection (7), (9) or (10) or section 24 and—

(a) any of the persons aforesaid signifies at any time his unwillingness or inability to act for any period as a member of the committee, or

(b) any of the persons aforesaid is through ill-health or otherwise unable so to act for any period,

the Minister may appoint in the case of—

(i) the Secretary of the Government, some other officer of the Taoiseach who is an established civil servant for the purposes of the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1956,

(ii) the Secretary of the Department of the Environment, some other officer of the Minister for the Environment, who is an established civil servant for the purposes of the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1956,

(iii) in any other case, some other person from the organisation or body referred to in subsection (2) to which the person referred to at paragraph (a) or (b) belongs,

to be a member of the committee in his place and such person shall remain a member of the committee until such time as the selection by the committee pursuant to the request is made.

(4) Where the Minister makes a request under subsection (7), (9) or (10) or section 24 and at the time of making the request any of the offices specified in subsection (2) is vacant, the Minister may appoint a person to be a member of the committee and such person shall remain a member of the committee until such time as the selection by the committee pursuant to the request is made.

(5) Where pursuant to subsection (3) or (4), the Minister appoints a person to be a member of the committee, he shall, as soon as may be, cause a notice of the appointment to be published in Iris Oifigiúil.

(6) F44[…]

(7) (a) The committee shall, whenever so requested by the Minister, select three candidates, or if in the opinion of the committee there is not a sufficient number of suitable applicants, such lesser number of candidates as the committee shall determine, for appointment to be the Director General and shall inform the Minister of the names of the candidates, or, as may be appropriate, the name of the candidate, selected.

(b) In selecting candidates the committee shall have regard to the special knowledge and experience and other qualifications, including any qualifications which the Minister may by order specify, or personal qualities which the committee consider appropriate to enable a person effectively to perform the functions of the Director General.

(8) Except in the case of a reappointment under subsection (13), the Government shall not appoint a person to be the Director General unless the person was among those or, as may be appropriate, was the candidate selected by the committee, pursuant to a request under subsection (7) in relation to that appointment.

(9) Notwithstanding subsection (7) or (8), if the Government decide not to appoint to be the Director General any of the candidates or, as the case may be, the candidate selected by the committee pursuant to a particular request—

(a) the Government shall appoint a person to be the Director General who was among those or, as the case may be, was the candidate, selected by the committee pursuant to a previous request (if any) in relation to that appointment, or

(b) the Minister shall make a further such request to the committee and the Government shall appoint to be the Director General a person who was among the candidates or, as the case may be, was the candidate selected by the committee pursuant to that request or pursuant to another such request made in relation to that appointment.

(10) Notwithstanding subsection (7) or (8), if the committee is unable to select any suitable candidate pursuant to a particular request—

(a) the Government shall appoint a person to be the Director General who was among those or, as the case may be, was the candidate, selected by the committee pursuant to a previous request (if any) in relation to that appointment, or

(b) the Minister shall make a further such request to the committee and the Government shall appoint to be the Director General a person who was among the candidates or, as the case may be, was the candidate selected by the committee pursuant to that request or pursuant to another such request made in relation to that appointment.

(11) The Minister may make regulations as regards—

(a) the publication of notice that a request has been received by the committee under subsection (7), (9) or (10),

(b) applications for selection,

(c) any other matter which the Minister considers expedient for the purposes of this section.

(12) The Director General shall be appointed in a wholetime capacity and shall not at any time during his term of office hold any other office or employment in respect of which emoluments are payable.

(13) Subject to the provisions of this section—

(a) the term of office of the Director General shall be seven years,

(b) the Director General may be reappointed by the Government for a second or subsequent term of office of seven years or less if, at the time of his reappointment, he is the outgoing Director General.

(14) (a) The Director General may resign his office by letter addressed to the Minister.

F45[(b) The Director General shall vacate Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 for the purposes of that Act, that age but, where the person is a new entrant (within the meaning of that Act) appointed on or after 1 April 2004, the requirement to vacate office on grounds of age shall not apply.]

(15) (a) The Director General shall be paid, out of moneys at the disposal of the Agency, such remuneration as the Minister,with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may determine.

(b) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Director General shall hold office on such terms and conditions (including terms relating to allowances for expenses) as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may determine.

(16) The Director General may be removed from office by the Government if, in their opinion, he has become incapable through ill-health of effectively performing his duties, or for stated misbehaviour, or if his removal appears to the Government to be necessary or desirable for the effective performance by the Agency of its functions and, in case the Director General is removed from office under this subsection, the Government shall cause to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas a statement in writing of the reasons for the removal.

22.—(1) The Agency shall appoint from among the directors a person to be Deputy Director General of the Agency and such appointment shall be for such period, not exceeding the current term of his office of director, as shall be specified in the appointment.

(2) If at any time the Deputy Director General ceases to be a director, he shall also cease to be Deputy Director General·

(3) The Deputy Director General may, in addition to his remuneration as a director, be paid such additional remuneration (if any) as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may determine.

(4) The Deputy Director General may resign his office by letter addressed to the Agency.

23.—It shall be the function of the Director General or, where he is not available or where the office of Director General is vacant, of the Deputy Director General—

(a) to ensure the efficient discharge of the business of the Agency, and

(b) to arrange the distribution of the business of the Agency among its directors.

24.—(1) The directors of the Agency shall be appointed by the Government.

(2) The Minister may, after consultation with the Director General (where a Director General is in office) or the Deputy Director General (where a Deputy Director General is in office) if there is no Director General in office, by order specify qualifications for all posts, or any particular post, of director.

(3) (a) Where a director is to be appointed pursuant to subsection (1), the committee provided for in section 21 shall, whenever so requested by the Minister, select three candidates, or if in the opinion of the committee there is not a sufficient number of suitable applicants, such lesser number of candidates as the committee shall determine, for appointment to be the director and shall inform the Minister of the names of the candidates, or, as may be appropriate, the name of the candidate, selected.

(b) In selecting candidates the committee shall have regard to the special knowledge and experience, including relevant experience in environmental matters F46[or radiological protection matters], and other qualifications, including any qualifications which the Minister may by order specify, or personal qualities which the committee consider appropriate to enable a person effectively to perform the functions of the director.

(4) Except in the case of a reappointment under subsection (9), the Government shall not appoint a person to be a director unless the person was among those or, as may be appropriate, was the candidate selected by the committee, pursuant to a request under subsection (3) in relation to that appointment.

(5) Notwithstanding subsection (3) or (4), if the Government decide not to appoint to be a director any of the candidates or, as the case may be, the candidate selected by the committee pursuant to a particular request—

(a) the Government shall appoint a person to be a director who was among those, or as the case may be, was the candidate, selected by the committee pursuant to a previous request (if any) in relation to that appointment, or

(b) the Minister shall make a further such request to the committee and the Government shall appoint to be a director a person who was among the candidates or, as the case may be, was the candidate selected by the committee pursuant to that request or pursuant to another such request made in relation to that appointment.

(6) Notwithstanding subsection (3) or (4), if the Committee is unable to select any suitable candidate pursuant to a particular request—

(a) the Government shall appoint a person to be a director who was among those, or as the case may be, was the candidate, selected by the committee pursuant to a previous request (if any) in relation to that appointment, or

(b) the Minister shall make a further such request to the committee and the Government shall appoint to be a director a person who was among the candidates or, as the case may be, was the candidate selected by the committee pursuant to that request or pursuant to another such request made in relation to that appointment.

(7) The Minister may make regulations as regards—

(a) the publication of notice that a request has been received by the committee under subsection (3) or (5),

(b) applications for selection,

(c) any other matter which the Minister considers expedient for the purposes of this section.

(8) Each director shall be appointed in a wholetime capacity and shall not at any time during his term of office hold any other office or employment in respect of which emoluments are payable.

(9) Subject to the provisions of this section—

(a) a director shall hold office for such term (not exceeding five years) as shall be specified by the Government when appointing him,

(b) a director may be reappointed by the Government for a second or subsequent term of office for five years or less if at the time of his reappointment he is an outgoing director.

(10) (a) A director may resign his office by letter addressed to the Minister.

F47[(b) A director shall vacate his office of director on attaining the age of 70 years or, where a higher age is prescribed by order under section 3A(2) of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 for the purposes of that Act, that age but, where the person is a new entrant (within the meaning of that Act) appointed on or after 1 April 2004, the requirement to vacate office on grounds of age shall not apply.]

(11) (a) A director shall be paid, out of moneys at the disposal of the Agency, such remuneration as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may determine.

(b) Subject to the provisions of this section, each director shall hold office on such terms and conditions (including terms relating to allowances for expenses) as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may determine.

(12) A director may be removed from office by the Government if, in their opinion, he has become incapable through ill-health of effectively performing his duties, or for stated misbehaviour, or if his removal appears to the Government to be necessary or desirable for the effective performance by the Agency of its functions, and in case a director is removed from office under this subsection, the Government shall cause to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas a statement in writing of the reasons for the removal.

25.—(1) The Agency shall hold such and so many meetings as may be necessary for the performance of its functions.

(2) The Director General and each director shall have one vote at a meeting of the Agency.

(3) At a meeting of the Agency—

(a) the Director General shall, if present, chair the meeting,

(b) if and for so long as the Director General is not present, or if the office of Director General is vacant, the Deputy Director General shall, if present, chair the meeting,

(c) in any other case, the directors who are present shall choose one of their number to chair the meeting.

(4) Every question at a meeting of the Agency shall be determined by a majority of votes of the directors present and, in the event that voting is equally divided and there are more than two directors present, the person chairing the meeting shall have a casting vote.

(5) Subject to the requirements of this Act and any regulations made thereunder the Agency shall regulate its own procedure and business.

(6) (a) Subject to paragraph (b), the Agency may perform or exercise any of its functions through or by any director of the Agency or other person or body who, in either case, has been duly authorised by the Agency in that behalf.

(b) Paragraph (a) shall not be construed as enabling the Agency to authorise a person who is not a director of the Agency finally to determine a decision on the granting, whether with or without conditions, or a refusal, of a licence or revised licence F48[(other than a licence or revised licence under section 30 of the Radiological Protection Act 1991 or under regulations relating to radiological protection made under section 3 of the European Communities Act 1972)] or on any prescribed matter.

26.—(1) The quorum for a meeting of the Agency shall be not less than two.

(2) Subject to subsection (1), the Agency may act notwithstanding a vacancy or vacancies in the office of Director General or among the directors.

(3) Where a vacancy occurs in the office of Director General, or among the directors, the Minister shall, as soon as may be, take steps to fill the vacancy.

(4) (a) Where, owing to the illness of the Director General or of a director, or for any other reason, a sufficient number of directors of the Agency is not available to enable the Agency effectively to perform its functions, the Minister may, as an interim measure, appoint from among the officers of the Minister who are established civil servants for the purposes of the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1956, one or more persons to be a director and, where necessary, one to be Deputy Director General.

(b) A person shall not be appointed to be a director or Deputy Director General under this subsection for a term in excess of six months and may not be reappointed on more than three occasions.

27.—(1) There shall be a committee (hereinafter called the Advisory Committee) to perform the functions assigned to it by or under this Act.

(2) The number of members of the Advisory Committee shall, subject to subsection (11), be twelve.

(3) (a) The Director General, or the Deputy Director General if and for so long as the Director General is not present or if the office of the Director General is vacant, shall, ex officio, be a member and shall chair the meetings of the Advisory Committee.

(b) In the event of the offices of Director General and Deputy Director General being vacant the Minister shall designate one of the other directors of the Agency to be a member of the Advisory Committee and to chair its meetings until either the Director General or the Deputy Director General is appointed.

(4) The directors other than the Director General shall be entitled to attend and be heard at meetings of the Advisory Committee but shall not be eligible to vote.

(5) The Minister may prescribe for the purposes of subsection (6)—

(a) organisations which in his opinion are representative of persons whose professions or occupations relate to environmental protection F49[or radiological protection],

(b) organisations which in his opinion are concerned with environmental protection F50[or radiological protection],

(c) organisations which in his opinion are concerned with the promotion of economic or other development,

(d) organisations which in his opinion are concerned with the promotion in relation to the community of social, economic or general interests,

(e) organisations which in his opinion are representative of persons concerned with F51[education or research relating to environmental matters or radiological protection].

(6) The members of the Advisory Committee shall be appointed by the Minister as follows—

(a) not less than one shall be so appointed from among persons selected by the organisations which for the time being stand prescribed under a particular paragraph of subsection (5), subject to seven persons being appointed in all,

(b) four other members shall be appointed by the Minister.

(7) The organisations prescribed under a particular paragraph of subsection (5) shall, whenever so requested by the Minister, select such number (not being less than four) of candidates as the Minister may specify for appointment and shall inform the Minister of the names of the candidates selected.

(8) Except in the case of an appointment pursuant to subsection (6) (b) and subject to subsection (10), the Minister shall not appoint a person to be a member of the Advisory Committee unless the person was among those selected pursuant to a request under subsection (7) in relation to that appointment.

(9) Notwithstanding subsection (7) or (8)—

(a) if the appropriate organisations prescribed under a particular paragraph of subsection (5) refuse or fail to select any candidate pursuant to a particular request under subsection (7), or

(b) if the Minister decides not to appoint as a member any of the candidates selected by such organisations pursuant to the request,

then either—

(i) the Minister shall appoint as a member a person who was among those selected by such organisations pursuant to a previous request (if any) under that subsection in relation to that appointment, or

(ii) the Minister shall make a further such request and he shall appoint as a member a person who was among those selected pursuant to that request or pursuant to another such request made in relation to that appointment.

(10) Where a request is made pursuant to subsection (7), failure or refusal by any or all of the organisations of whom the request is made to select the number of candidates specified in the request shall not preclude the appointment as a member of a person who was selected in relation to that appointment either by any of the aforesaid organisations or by any other organisation.

(11) The Advisory Committee may act notwithstanding vacancies in its membership.

(12) A member of the Advisory Committee shall be appointed for such term (not exceeding three years) as shall be specified by the Minister when appointing him (on such terms and conditions as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, determines) and a member whose term of office expires by the effluxion of time shall be eligible for reappointment.

(13) A member of the Advisory Committee shall be paid, out of moneys at the disposal of the Agency, such allowances for expenses as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, determines.

(14) The Advisory Committee may regulate, by standing orders or otherwise, its procedure or business.

(15) The Minister may fix the date, time and place of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee.

(16) The Minister may make regulations as regards—

(a) the period within which the Minister is to be informed in accordance with subsection (7),

(b) any other matter which the Minister considers expedient for the purposes of this section.

(17) (a) A member of the Advisory Committee may resign from office by letter addressed to the Minister.

(b) The Minister may remove from office a member of the Advisory Committee if in the opinion of the Minister he has become incapable through ill-health of effectively performing his duties or for stated misbehaviour or his removal appears to the Minister to be necessary or desirable for the effective performance by the Advisory Committee of its functions.

28.—(1) (a) It shall be the duty of the Advisory Committee to make recommendations to the Agency or to the Minister relating to the functions of the Agency.

(b) The Agency or the Minister, as may be appropriate, shall have regard to any recommendations made by the Advisory Committee.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Advisory Committee may make recommendations—

(a) to the Agency in relation to—

(i) general staff requirements of the Agency but excluding decisions in relation to particular posts, individual employees, pay, grading and conditions,

(ii) the provision of services, including laboratory facilities, required by the Agency,

(iii) the provision of services, including laboratory facilities, by the Agency,

(iv) standards, guidelines and codes of practice in relation to environmental protection F52[or radiological protection],

(v) the research programme of the Agency, its financing and priorities,

(vi) the annual work programme of the Agency and priorities for different elements of the work programme,

(vii) the organisation and promotion of training conferences and related matters for the purposes of environmental protection F53[or radiological protection],

(viii) any other matters related to the functions of the Agency,

(b) to the Minister in relation to—

(i) the assignment of specific functions to the Agency,

(ii) the financing of the Agency,

(iii) the activities or classes of activities for which the Agency should have licensing functions under Part IV,

(iv) the assignment to the Agency of responsibility for specific environmental matters F54[or matters relating to radiological protection],

(v) any other matter which, in the opinion of the Advisory Committee, is relevant to the effective performance by the Agency of its functions.

(3) The Minister may consult the Advisory Committee on any matter arising in relation to his functions with respect to environmental protection F55[or radiological protection].

(4) The Advisory Committee shall be entitled to be informed at its meetings by the Director General, or a person appointed by him for the purpose, about the work of the Agency but (subject to section 110) not in relation to the detail of particular cases, and provided always that disclosure of such information shall not be in breach of section 39.

(5) Subject to section 110, the Advisory Committee shall not as of right be entitled—

(a) to receive specific information in relation to the processing of an application for, or the review of, an individual licence or revised licence under Part IV, or

(b) to have any recommendations regarding such a licence taken into account.

29.—(1) The Agency may appoint such persons to be employees of the Agency as it may determine subject to the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Finance as to numbers and grading.

(2) (a) An employee of the Agency shall be paid, out of moneys at the disposal of the Agency, such remuneration and allowances for expenses as the Agency, with the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Finance, may determine.

(b) An employee of the Agency referred to in paragraph (a) shall hold his employment on such other terms (including terms specifying the duration of such employment) and conditions as the Agency, with the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Finance, may determine.

30.—(1) The Minister may, from time to time, following consultation with the Agency and any other Minister of the Government who in the opinion of the Minister is concerned, request a public authority to designate for employment by the Agency employees of that authority whose principal duties relate to a function assigned or transferred to the Agency under this Act, or to be so assigned or transferred to the Agency, and the authority shall comply with such request.

(2) A public authority may, with the consent of the Minister who shall consult with the Agency on the matter, designate for employment by the Agency any person employed by the public authority.

(3) A public authority shall not designate an employee under subsection (1) or (2), without having notified in writing the employee and any recognised trade unions or staff associations concerned, of its intention to do so and considered any representations made by him, or by them or by any of them, in relation to the matter within such time as may be specified in the notification.

(4) The Agency shall, with the consent of the Minister who shall consult with the Agency on the matter, accept into its employment a person designated under subsection (1) or (2) for employment by the Agency.

(5) Acceptance into the employment of the Agency of a person designated under this section shall have effect on such day as may be specified by the Minister after consultation with the Agency and any other Minister of the Government who in the opinion of the Minister is concerned.

31.—(1) The terms and conditions relating to tenure which are granted by the Agency in relation to a person accepted into its employment under section 30 or 32 shall not, while the person is in the employment of the Agency, be less favourable to him than those prevailing immediately before his acceptance into such employment save in accordance with a collective agreement negotiated with any recognised trade unions or staff associations concerned; and if a dispute arises between the Agency and any such person as to terms and conditions prevailing immediately before his acceptance into the employment of the Agency, the matter shall be determined by the Minister for Finance, after consultation with the Minister.

(2) Save in accordance with a collective agreement negotiated with any recognised trade unions or staff associations concerned, a person referred to in subsection (1) shall not, while in the employment of the Agency, receive a lesser scale of pay or be made subject to less beneficial terms and conditions of service (other than those relating to tenure) than the scale of pay to which he was entitled and the terms and conditions of service (other than those relating to tenure) to which he was subject immediately before the day on which he was so accepted.

(3) Until such time as the scale of pay and the terms and conditions of service (other than those relating to tenure) of a person referred to in subsection (1) are varied by the Agency, following consultation with any recognised trade unions and staff associations concerned, the scales of pay to which such a person was entitled and the terms and conditions of service (other than those relating to tenure), restrictions, requirements and obligations to which the person was subject immediately before such acceptance shall continue to apply and may be applied or imposed by the Agency, while the person is in the employment of the Agency; no such variation shall operate to worsen the scale of pay or the terms or conditions of service aforesaid applicable to an employee immediately before he was accepted into the employment of the Agency, save in accordance with a collective agreement negotiated with any recognised trade unions or staff associations concerned.

(4) Previous service of any person in a public authority from which he was accepted into the employment of the Agency under section 30 or 32 shall be reckonable for the purposes of, but subject to any other exceptions or exclusions in, the Redundancy Payments Acts, 1967 to 1991, the Holidays (Employees) Acts, 1973 and 1991, the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts, 1973 to 1991, and the Unfair Dismissals Acts, 1977 and 1991.

32.—(1) The National Institute for Physical Planning and Construction Research Limited (An Foras Forbartha Teoranta) shall, on such date as may be specified by order of the Minister, made with the consent of the Minister for Finance, be dissolved by virtue of this section.

(2) An order under subsection (1) may provide for any consequential or ancillary matter or any other matter which the Minister considers necessary or expedient including, in particular—

(a) the transfer of staff of An Foras Forbartha Teoranta to the Agency,

(b) the transfer or distribution of property, rights and liabilities to the Agency, the Environmental Research Unit established under the Environmental Research Unit (Establishment) Order, 1988, the Minister, or any other public authority specified in the order,

(c) the preservation of continuing contracts related to environmental protection made by An Foras Forbartha Teoranta,

(d) the continuance of pending legal proceedings,

(e) the superannuation of former staff of An Foras Forbartha Teoranta.

(3) The Minister shall not make an order under subsection (2) (a) without having notified in writing any recognised trade unions or staff associations concerned of his intention to do so and considered any representations made by them or by any of them in relation to the matter within such time as may be specified in the notification.

(4) The Agency shall accept into its employment in accordance with the terms of this Act a person who is transferred under subsection (2) (a).

33.—(1) The Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, make a scheme or schemes for the granting of pensions, gratuities or other allowances to or in respect of the Director General and other directors ceasing to hold office.

(2) A scheme under this section may provide that the termination of the appointment of the Director General or of a director during that person's term of office shall not preclude the award to him under the scheme of a pension, gratuity or other allowance.

(3) The Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, make a scheme amending or revoking a scheme under this section, including a scheme under this subsection.

(4) If any dispute arises as to the claim of any person to, or the amount of, any pension, gratuity, or allowance payable in pursuance of a scheme under this section, such dispute shall be submitted to the Minister who shall refer it to the Minister for Finance whose decision shall be final.

(5) A scheme under this section shall be carried out by the Agency in accordance with its terms.

(6) No pension, gratuity or other allowance shall be granted by the Agency to or in respect of any person referred to in subsection (1) ceasing to hold office otherwise than in accordance with a scheme under this section.

(7) Every scheme made under this section shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling the scheme is passed by either such House within the next twenty-one days on which that House has sat after the scheme is laid before it, the scheme shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.

34.—(1) The Agency may, with the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Finance, make a scheme or schemes for the granting of superannuation benefits to or in respect of such persons appointed under section 29 to, or accepted under section 30 or 32 into, wholetime employment of the Agency.

(2) A scheme under subsection (1) shall fix the time and conditions of retirement for all persons to or in respect of whom superannuation benefits are payable under the scheme, and different times and conditions may be fixed in respect of different classes of persons.

(3) The Agency may, with the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Finance, make a scheme amending or revoking a scheme under this section including a scheme under this subsection.

(4) If any dispute arises as to the claim of any person to, or the amount of, any superannuation benefit payable in pursuance of a scheme or schemes under this section, such dispute shall be submitted to the Minister, who shall refer it to the Minister for Finance, whose decision shall be final.

(5) No superannuation benefit shall be granted by the Agency on the resignation, retirement or death of an employee of the Agency otherwise than in accordance with a scheme under this section.

(6) A scheme under this section shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling the scheme is passed by either such House within the next twenty-one days on which that House has sat after the scheme is laid before it, the scheme shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.

(7) A scheme or schemes under subsection (1) shall, as respects a person accepted into wholetime employment of the Agency under section 30 or 32, provide for the granting to or in respect of him of superannuation benefits upon and subject to terms and conditions that are not less favourable to him than the terms and conditions applied to him immediately before the day on which he was so accepted into the employment of the Agency in relation to the grant of such benefits.

(8) Where, during the period between the establishment day and the coming into operation of a scheme under this section, superannuation benefits would have been granted to or in respect of a person accepted into wholetime employment of the Agency under section 30 or 32, in respect of his employment with the public authority concerned, the superannuation benefits shall be granted and paid to or in respect of the person by the Agency and, for that purpose, his pensionable service with the Agency shall be aggregated with his previous pensionable service.

(9) In this section and in sections 35 and 36 “superannuation benefits” means pensions, gratuities and other allowances payable on resignation, retirement or death.

35.—(1) Where the Director General or other director of the Agency—

(a) accepts nomination as a member of Seanad Éireann,

(b) is nominated as a candidate for election to either House of the Oireachtas or to the European Parliament, or

(c) is regarded pursuant to section 15 (inserted by the European Assembly Elections Act, 1984) of the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, as having been elected to such Parliament to fill a vacancy,

he shall thereupon cease to be the Director General or a director of the Agency, as the case may be.

(2) Where a person who is an employee of the Agency—

(a) accepts nomination as a member of Seanad Éireann,

(b) is nominated as a candidate for election to either House of the Oireachtas or to the European Parliament, or

(c) is regarded pursuant to section 15 (inserted by the European Assembly Elections Act, 1984) of the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, as having been elected to such Parliament to fill a vacancy,

he shall thereupon stand seconded from employment by the Agency and shall not be paid by, or be entitled to receive from, the Agency any remuneration or allowances in respect of the period commencing on such acceptance, nomination or election, as the case may be, and ending when he fails to be elected to, withdraws his candidature for, or ceases to be a member of, either such House or such Parliament.

(3) A person who is for the time being entitled under the Standing Orders of either House of the Oireachtas to sit therein or is a member of the European Parliament shall, while he is so entitled or is such a member, be disqualified from becoming the Director General or a director of the Agency or an employee of the Agency.

(4) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2), that subsection shall be construed as prohibiting, inter alia, the reckoning of a period mentioned in that subsection as service with the Agency for the purposes of any superannuation benefits.

36.—(1) Where the Director General or other director of the Agency becomes a member of a local authority he shall thereupon cease to be the Director General or a director of the Agency, as the case may be.

(2) Subject to subsection (4), where a person who is an employee of the Agency becomes a member of a local authority, he shall be released on special leave and shall not be paid by, or be entitled to receive from, the Agency any remuneration or allowances in respect of the period of his membership of the local authority.

(3) A person who is for the time being a member of a local authority shall be disqualified from becoming the Director General or a director of the Agency or an employee of the Agency.

(4) The Minister may by order designate a class, description or grade of employment to which the provisions of subsection (2) or (3) shall not apply while such order is in force.

(5) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2), that subsection shall be construed as prohibiting, inter alia, the reckoning of a period mentioned in that subsection as service with the Agency for the purposes of any superannuation benefits.

(6) In this section “local authority” has the meaning assigned to it by the Local Government Act, 1941.

37.—(1) It shall be the duty of a person to whom this section applies to give to the Agency a declaration in the prescribed form, signed by him and containing particulars of every interest of his which is an interest to which this section applies and for so long as he continues to be a person to whom this section applies it shall be his duty where there is a change regarding any such interest or where he acquires any other interest to which this section applies, to give to the Agency a new declaration in the prescribed form.

(2) (a) This section applies to—

(i) the Director General or other director, and

(ii) an employee of the Agency or any other person whose services are availed of by the Agency and who is of a class, description or grade prescribed for the purposes of this section.

(b) This section applies to the following interests—

(i) any estate or interest which a person to whom this section applies has in any land or in any activity,

(ii) any business of dealing in or developing land, or any activity, in which such a person is engaged or employed and any such business carried on by a company or other body of which he, or any nominee of his, is a member,

(iii) any profession, business or occupation in which such a person is engaged, whether on his own behalf or otherwise, and which relates to dealing in or developing land or to an activity.

(3) A person to whom this section applies and who has an interest to which this section applies shall be regarded as complying with the requirements of subsection (1) if, and only if, he gives to the Agency a declaration mentioned in that subsection within the period of twenty-eight days beginning—

(a) in case the person is such a person on the commencement of this section, on such commencement,

(b) in case the person becomes such a person after the commencement of this section, on the day on which he becomes such a person,

(c) in case there is a change regarding an interest particulars of which are contained in a declaration already given by the person or where the person acquires any other interest to which this section applies, on the day on which the change occurs or the other such interest is acquired.

(4) For the purposes of this section, a person shall be regarded as having an estate or interest in land or an activity if he, or any nominee of his, is a member of a company or other body which has an estate or interest in the land or the activity.

(5) For the purposes of this section, a person shall not be regarded as having an interest to which this section applies if the interest is so remote or insignificant that it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to influence a person in considering or discussing, or in voting on, any question with respect to any matter arising or coming before the Agency or in performing any function in relation to any such matter.

(6) Where a person to whom this section applies has an interest to which this section applies by reason only of the beneficial ownership of shares in a company or other body by him or by his nominee and the total nominal value of those shares does not exceed the lesser of—

(a) one thousand pounds, or

(b) one-hundredth part of the total nominal value of either the issued share capital of the company or body, or where that capital is issued in shares of more than one class, the issued share capital of the class or classes of shares in which he has an interest,

subsection (1) of this section shall not have effect in relation to that interest.

(7) The Agency shall for the purposes of this section keep a register (which register is in this section referred to as the register of interests) and shall enter therein the particulars contained in declarations given to the Agency pursuant to this section.

(8) The register of interests shall be available for inspection by any person at the Agency's headquarters during office hours and a copy of the register or any entry in the register may be obtained by any person on the payment to the Agency of such fee (if any) as the Agency shall fix not exceeding the reasonable cost of making the copy.

(9) Where a person ceases to be a person to whom this section applies, any particulars entered in the register of interests as a result of a declaration being given by the person to the Agency pursuant to this section shall be removed, as soon as may be after the expiration of the period of five years beginning on the day on which the person ceases to be such a person, from the said register by the Agency.

(10) Subject to subsection (11), a person who fails to comply with subsection (1) or who, when purporting to comply with the requirements of the said subsection (1), gives particulars which are false or which to his knowledge are misleading in a material respect, shall be guilty of an offence.

(11) In any proceedings for an offence under this section it shall be a defence for the defendant to prove that at the relevant time he believed, in good faith and upon reasonable grounds, that—

(a) the relevant particulars were true,

(b) there was no matter as regards which he was then required to make a declaration under subsection (1), or

(c) that the matter in relation to which the offence is alleged was not one as regards which he was so required to make such declaration.

(12) In this section “land” includes land covered by water.

38.—(1) Where the Director General, other director, an employee of the Agency, a member of the Advisory Committee or of a committee or consultative group established by the Agency, a consultant, adviser or other person engaged by the Agency or a person whose services are availed of by, or supplied to, the Agency under section 44 or who exercises or performs any function on behalf of the Agency under an agreement under section 45, has a pecuniary or other beneficial interest in, or material to, any matter which falls to be considered by the Agency, committee or consultative group or the person concerned, he shall comply with the following requirements—

(a) he shall disclose to the Agency, committee or consultative group, as the case may be, the nature of his interest in advance of any consideration of the matter,

(b) he shall neither influence nor seek to influence a decision in relation to the matter,

(c) he shall take no part in any consideration of the matter,

(d) if he is a director of the Agency, or a member of a committee or consultative group he shall withdraw from the meeting for so long as the matter is being discussed or considered by the Agency, committee or consultative group and shall not vote or otherwise act as such director or member in relation to the matter.

(2) For the purposes of this section, but without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), a person shall be regarded as having a beneficial interest if—

(a) he or any member of his household, or any nominee of his or of any member of his household, is a member of a company or any other body which has a beneficial interest in, or material to, a matter referred to in that subsection,

(b) he or any member of his household is in partnership with or is in the employment of a person who has a beneficial interest in, or material to, such a matter,

(c) he or any member of his household is a party to any arrangement or agreement (whether or not enforceable) concerning land to which such a matter relates,

(d) any member of his household has a beneficial interest in, or material to, such a matter.

(3) For the purposes of this section a person shall not be regarded as having a beneficial interest in, or material to, any matter by reason only of an interest of his or of any company or of any other body or person mentioned in subsection (2) which is so remote or insignificant that it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to influence a person in considering, discussing or in voting on, any question with respect to the matter, or in performing any function in relation to that matter.

(4) Where a question arises as to whether or not a course of conduct, if pursued by a person, would be a failure by him to comply with the requirements of subsection (1), the question shall be determined by the Agency and particulars of the determination shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting concerned.

(5) Where a disclosure is made to the Agency, a committee or consultative group pursuant to subsection (1), particulars of the disclosure shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting concerned.

39.—(1) A person shall not disclose confidential information obtained by him in his capacity as Director General, other director, an employee of the Agency, a member of the Advisory Committee or of a committee or consultative group established by the Agency, a consultant, adviser or other person engaged by the Agency, or a person whose services are availed of by, or supplied to, the Agency under section 44 or who exercises or performs any function on behalf of the Agency under an agreement under section 45, unless he is duly authorised to do so.

(2) In this section—

“confidential information”, without prejudice to the provisions of section 110, includes information that is expressed by the Agency to be confidential either as regards particular information or as regards information of a particular class or description;

“duly authorised” means authorised by the Agency or by some person authorised in that behalf by the Agency for the purposes of this section.

40.—(1) A person shall not communicate with the Director General, other director, an employee of the Agency, a member of the Advisory Committee or of a committee or consultative group established by the Agency, a consultant, adviser or other person engaged by the Agency, or a person whose services are availed of by, or supplied to, the Agency under section 44 or who exercises or performs any function on behalf of the Agency under an agreement under section 45, for the purpose of influencing improperly his consideration of any matter which falls to be considered or decided by the Agency, committee or consultative group.

(2) If any person referred to in subsection (1) to whom a communication is made becomes of opinion that the communication is in contravention of that subsection, it shall be his duty not to entertain the communication further and he shall inform forthwith the Agency in writing of the substance of such communication and the Agency shall acknowledge in writing the receipt of such information.

41.—(1) The Agency may from time to time appoint such and so many committees and consultative groups for such period and subject to such terms of reference as it thinks proper.

(2) The Agency may, subject to section 25 (6), delegate to a committee appointed under this section any of its functions which, in its opinion, can be better or more conveniently performed by a committee.

(3) The Agency shall appoint a person to chair the meetings of a committee or consultative group under this section and a person to act in the absence of the person so appointed.

(4) The Agency may at any time dissolve a committee or consultative group appointed under this section or remove a member of a committee or consultative group from such membership.

(5) Each member of a committee or consultative group appointed under this section shall be paid, out of moneys at the disposal of the Agency, such allowances for expenses as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, determines.

(6) A committee or consultative group appointed under this section may regulate, by standing orders or otherwise, its procedure or business.

42.—(1) The Agency may from time to time engage such consultants or advisers as it may consider necessary for the discharge of its functions and any fees due to a consultant or adviser engaged pursuant to this section shall be paid by the Agency out of moneys at its disposal.

(2) Any person may notify the Agency in writing of his willingness to be engaged by the Agency as a consultant or adviser pursuant to this section and such person when so notifying the Agency shall give to the Agency particulars of his qualifications and experience.

(3) The Agency shall maintain a list of the persons who duly give to the Agency a notification pursuant to subsection (2).

(4) The Agency shall, in engaging a consultant or adviser under this section, have regard to the list maintained under subsection (3), but nothing in this subsection shall be construed as precluding the Agency from engaging as a consultant or adviser a person whose name is not on the said list.

(5) The Agency shall include in its annual report a statement of the names of the persons (if any) engaged pursuant to this section during the year to which the report relates.

43.—(1) The Agency shall establish such number of units (in this Act referred to as regional environmental units) as may be approved of by the Minister and shall, as far as is practicable, arrange for the performance of its functions, or particular functions, through such units.

(2) Each regional environmental unit shall comprise such number and types of employees and such facilities for the performance of its functions as the Agency considers necessary.

44.—(1) For the purposes of enabling the Agency to perform its functions on and from the appropriate day, the Minister may, as an interim measure, supply to the Agency any services, including services of staff, required by the Agency and the Agency may avail of such services for which arrangements are made under this section.

(2) A local authority or any other public authority may supply to the Agency any services required by the Agency, including services of staff, for the performance of any of its functions under this Act on such terms and conditions as may be agreed.

45.—(1) Subject to section 25 (6), where—

(a) the Agency is of the opinion that any function or any service F56[relating to environmental protection] which may be exercised or performed by it should be exercised or performed on its behalf, whether generally or in a particular case, by a public authority, and

(b) the public authority is able and willing so to exercise or perform the function or service,

the Agency and the public authority may enter into an agreement that the function or service shall be so exercised or performed on behalf of the Agency by the public authority, and it shall thereupon become so exercisable or performable by the public authority.

(2) Where—

(a) consequent upon an agreement under subsection (1) a function or service becomes exercisable or performable by a public authority, and

(b) the Agency would, if it exercised or performed the function or service, be authorised by law to do any act or thing in relation to such exercise or performance,

the public authority shall be authorised to do that act or thing in relation to the exercise or performance by it of the function or service as if it were the Agency.

(3) The Agency shall furnish the Minister with a copy of an agreement to which this section applies.

(4) Any agreement under this section may contain such terms and conditions (including terms as to payment or otherwise) as may be decided between the parties to the agreement.

(5) Entry into an agreement under this section by a local authority shall be a reserved function.

(6) In this section—

“local authority” has the meaning assigned to it by the Local Government Act, 1941;

“reserved function” means—

(a) with respect to the council of a county (or an elective body for the purposes of the County Management Acts, 1940 to 1991) a reserved function for the purposes of the County Management Acts, 1940 to 1991,

(b) with respect to the corporation of a county borough, a reserved function for the purposes of the Acts relating to the management of the county borough.

46.—The Minister may in each financial year, after consultation with the Agency in relation to its proposed work programme and expenditure for that year, make grants of such amounts as may be sanctioned by the Minister for Finance out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas towards the expenditure incurred by the Agency in the performance of its functions.

47.—The Agency may, for the purposes of the performance of its functions, borrow money, but shall not do so without the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Finance.

48.—(1) The Agency may accept gifts of money, land or other property upon such trusts or conditions (if any) as may be specified by the donor.

(2) The Agency shall not accept a gift if the trusts or conditions attached to it would be inconsistent with, or prejudice, the effective performance of its functions.

(3) The Agency shall publish in its annual report details of all gifts accepted by it during the period of the report.

49.—(1) The Agency may determine charges or scales of charges in relation to the provision by it of services.

(2) The Agency may make such charges as it considers appropriate in accordance with the scales of charges provided for under subsection (1) in consideration of the provision by it of services.

(3) The Agency may recover, as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction, from the person by whom it is payable any amount due and owing to it under subsection (2).

50.—(1) The Agency shall keep, in such form as may be approved of by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance, all proper and usual accounts of all moneys received or expended by it.

(2) Accounts kept in pursuance of this section shall be submitted annually to the Comptroller and Auditor General for audit at such times as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, directs and those accounts when so audited, shall (together with the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon), be presented to the Minister, who shall cause copies of the audited accounts and the report to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas.

51.—(1) As soon as may be after the end of each financial year, but not later than six months thereafter, the Agency shall cause a report on the performance of its functions during that year to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas.

(2) The Agency shall supply the Minister with such information relating to the performance of its functions as he shall from time to time request.

52.—(1) The functions of the Agency shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, include—

(a) the licensing, regulation and control of activities for the purposes of environmental protection,

(b) the monitoring of the quality of the environment, including the establishment and maintenance of data bases of information related to the environment and making arrangements for the dissemination of such information and for public access thereto,

(c) the provision of support and advisory services for the purposes of environmental protection to local authorities and other public authorities in relation to the performance of any function of those authorities,

(d) the promotion and co-ordination of environmental research, the provision of assistance and advice in relation to such research and the carrying out, causing to be carried out, or arranging for, such research,

(e) liaison with the European Environment Agency provided for under Council Regulation 1210/90/EEC¹,

(f) such other functions in relation to environmental protection as may be assigned or transferred to it by the Minister under section 53 or 54 including functions arising from any obligations under any treaty governing the European Communities or an act adopted by the institutions of those Communities or other international convention or agreement to which the State is, or becomes, a party.

(2) In carrying out its functions, the Agency shall—

(a) keep itself informed of the policies and objectives of public authorities whose functions have, or may have, a bearing on matters with which the Agency is concerned,

(b) have regard to the need for a high standard of environmental protection and the need to promote sustainable and environmentally sound development, processes or operations,

(c) have regard to the need for precaution in relation to the potentially harmful effect of emissions, where there are, in the opinion of the Agency, reasonable grounds for believing that such emissions could cause significant environmental pollution,

(d) have regard to the need to give effect, insofar as it is feasible,to the “polluter pays” principle, as set out in Council Recommendation 75/436/EURATOM, ECSC, EEC of 3 March, 1975¹, regarding cost allocation and action by public authorities on environmental matters,

(e) ensure, in so far as is practicable, that a proper balance is achieved between the need to protect the environment (and the cost of such protection) and the need for infrastructural, economic and social progress and development.

F57[(3) The Agency may have custody of, produce, process, handle, hold, store, use, manufacture, import, distribute, transport, export or otherwise dispose of radioactive substances for any purpose in connection with its functions under paragraph (b) of subsection (1).

(4) The Agency shall not F58[be required to be a registered person or licensee within the meaning of section 2 of the Radiological Protection Act 1991] to have custody of, produce, process, handle, hold, store, use, manufacture, import, distribute, transport, export or otherwise dispose of radioactive substances for any purpose in connection with its functions under paragraph (b) of subsection (1).

(5) Any custody, production, processing, handling, holding, storing, using, manufacture, import, distribution, transport, export or disposal by the Agency, prior to the commencement of section 47 of the Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, of radioactive substances for any purpose in connection with its functions under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) that would, but for this subsection, be invalid by reason only of a contravention of an order made under section 30 of the Radiological Protection Act 1991 shall be, and shall be deemed always to have been, valid and effectual for all purposes.

(6) If subsection (5) would, but for this subsection, conflict with a constitutional right of any person, the operation of that subsection shall be subject to such limitation as is necessary to secure that it does not so conflict but shall otherwise be of full force and effect.]

53.—(1) The Minister may, following consultation with the Agency and any other Minister of the Government who in the opinion of the Minister is concerned, by regulations assign to the Agency such additional functions F59[in relation to environmental protection] and, consequentially, modify any existing function in relation to environmental protection as from time to time he considers appropriate.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), regulations under this section may assign to the Agency any function which relates to environmental protection and which arises from, or is necessary for, the implementation of any provision of the treaties governing the European Communities or any act adopted by the institutions of those Communities or other international convention or agreement to which the State is, or becomes, a party.

(3) Any regulations made pursuant to this section may provide for the assignment to the Agency of such ancillary, incidental and supplementary functions F60[in relation to environmental protection] as, in the opinion of the Minister, are necessary for, or in connection with, the implementation of any provision of the treaties governing the European Communities or any act adopted by the institutions of those Communities or other international convention or agreement to which the State is, or becomes, a party.

(4) (a) A charge may be made by the Agency, subject to regulations under this section, in connection with, incidental to, or for the purposes of, the effective performance of any function assigned to it under this section.

(b) The Agency may recover, as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction, from any such person any amount due and owing to it under paragraph (a).

54.—(1) The Minister may, following consultation with the Agency, make regulations providing that any function relating to environmental protection conferred on a public authority under any enactment specified in the Second Schedule shall, where the Minister is satisfied that the function could be more effectively performed by the Agency, in addition to or in lieu of being performed by that authority, be performed by the Agency with effect from a date specified in the regulations.

(2) Regulations under subsection (1) shall not be made save with the agreement of any other Minister of the Government directly responsible for the function concerned or under whose aegis the public authority responsible for the function operates.

(3) Whenever regulations under this section are in force in relation to a particular function, a reference in any enactment to the public authority concerned shall be construed as including a reference to the Agency and the function to which the regulations relate shall be a function of the Agency.

(4) Regulations under this section may contain such incidental, supplementary, consequential and transitional provisions (including provisions modifying any provision of this Act or of any other enactment) as appear to the Minister to be necessary for the purposes or in consequence of, or to give full effect to, the regulations.

55.—(1) The Agency may, of its own volition, and shall when requested by a Minister of the Government, give information or advice or make recommendations for the purposes of environmental protection F61[or radiological protection] to any such Minister on any matter relating to his functions or responsibilities and that Minister shall have regard to any such information or advice given or recommendations made.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Agency—

(a) may, and shall when requested by a Minister of the Government—

(i) prepare and submit to the Minister concerned an assessment of any proposal for, or any proposal for the amendment or the implementation of, any treaty governing the European Communities or any act of the institutions of those Communities or other international convention or agreement to which the State is, or may become, a party having a bearing on environmental protection F62[or radiological protection],

(ii) advise the Minister concerned in relation to any proposals for legislative change, or on any other policy matters, concerning environmental protection F63[or radiological protection] and related matters,

(iii) submit to the Minister concerned any proposals it may consider appropriate for amendment of any enactment, or for new enactments, concerning environmental protection F64[or radiological protection],

(iv) prepare and submit information to, or advise, the Minister concerned in relation to guidelines, standards and other matters including management of coastal areas in relation to environmental protection F65[or radiological protection],

(v) report on and make recommendations to the Minister concerned on particular F66[issues or problems relating to environmental matters or radiological protection],

(b) may, and shall when requested by the Minister, make recommendations to the Minister in relation to any modification or extension of the functions of the Agency which it considers appropriate.

(3) The Minister may, by order made after consultation with any other Minister of the Government concerned, provide that a function performable by the Agency under subsection (1) or subsection (2) (a) shall be performable also in relation to any other public authority for which that other Minister is responsible.

(4) The Agency may, for any Minister of the Government or any public authority designated by order under subsection (3) or for any other person or body, organise and promote, or assist in organising and promoting, conferences, seminars, lectures, demonstrations,training courses or publications for persons involved in environmental protection F67[or radiological protection].

56.—(1) The Agency may, and shall when requested by the Minister, give information or advice or make recommendations for the purposes of environmental protection, to a local authority or to local authorities generally in relation to the performance of any of its or their functions and the authority or authorities shall have regard to any such information or advice given or recommendations made.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), information, advice or recommendations under this section may relate to—

(a) the provision of laboratory facilities and equipment, and related services,

(b) the preparation of legal proceedings in respect of any contravention of an enactment relating to environmental protection,

(c) the standards, conditions or criteria to be applied, or the guidelines, codes of practice or procedures to be followed, for the purposes of environmental protection in relation to any development, process or practice either generally or of a particular class,

(d) the management of coastal areas for the purposes of environmental protection,

(e) the monitoring of emissions and environmental quality,

(f) methods of sampling, measuring and analysis, and the equipment to be used for such sampling, measurement and analysis.

(3) The Agency may organise and promote, or assist in organising and promoting, conferences, seminars, lectures, demonstrations, training courses or publications for staff of local authorities involved in environmental protection or for members of local authorities.

(4) In this section “local authority” has the meaning assigned to it by the Local Government Act, 1941.

57.—(1) The Agency shall provide such general support and assistance for the purposes of environmental protection to local authorities in relation to the performance of any of their functions as it considers necessary and feasible.

(2) The Agency may, for the purposes of subsection (1), make arrangements with a local authority, on such terms and conditions as may be agreed, for the provision of services, including services relating to staffing and equipment, to that local authority.

(3) In this section “local authority” has the meaning assigned to it by the Local Government Act, 1941.

F68[58.— (1) The Agency may request a water services authority to submit to it in such manner and at such times as it may direct, such information as the Agency may specify in relation to the management and treatment, and the monitoring of compliance with prescribed quality standards and other parametric values, of water intended for human consumption.

(2) The Agency shall arrange for, carry out or cause to be carried out, such inspection, auditing or monitoring as it considers necessary to verify information (including monitoring results) transmitted to it under subsection (1).

(3) The Agency shall, in relation to each year, prepare and submit to the Minister a report on—

(a) the monitoring, together with an assessment of the results, referred to in subsection (1) or (2), and

(b) the implementation by the Agency of section 58A,

and the report shall include such recommendations as seem to it to be appropriate.

(4) Each report under subsection (3) shall be laid by the Minister before each House of the Oireachtas and shall be published by the Agency.

(5) In this section and section 58A "parametric values" and "water services authority" have the meanings assigned to them, respectively, in section 2 of the Water Services Act 2007.]

58A.— (1) Notwithstanding section 30 of the Water Services Act 2007, the Agency shall—

(a) monitor compliance with prescribed water quality standards and other parametric values of water supplied by or on behalf of a water services authority for human consumption, and

(b) be responsible for enforcement of compliance with such standards.

...]

59.—(1) The Minister may, for the purposes of environmental protection and, in particular, for the purpose of giving full effect to Council Directive 91/271/EEC¹, make regulations for the collection, treatment, discharge or disposal of sewage or other effluents to waters from—

(a) any plant or drainage pipe vested in or controlled or used by a sanitary authority for the treatment of drinking water, or

(b) any plant, sewer or drainage pipe vested in or controlled or used by a sanitary authority for the treatment and disposal of sewage or other effluents.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), regulations may provide for all or any of the following—

(a) the time within which specified systems or classes of systems for the collection and treatment of sewage effluents shall be provided,

(b) the design, construction and maintenance of collection and treatment systems,

(c) standards or other requirements for effluents specified in subsection (1),

(d) criteria for the designation of areas or classes of areas or waters or classes of waters by such person as may be specified and the times within which such designations shall be made or reviewed for the purposes of subsection (3),

(e) monitoring of sewage or other effluents and of waters to which sewage or other effluents are discharged,

(f) re-use and disposal of effluents.

(3) Standards or other requirements prescribed under subsection (2) may relate to—

(a) all, or specified classes of, or specified volumes of, effluents,

(b) effluents in designated areas or classes of areas or specified plant, sewers or drainage pipes, or specified classes of plant, sewers or drainage pipes, or

(c) effluents discharged to designated waters or classes of waters,

and different standards or other requirements may be prescribed in relation to different effluents or classes of effluents, different areas or classes of areas, different waters or classes of waters or different plant, sewers or drainage pipes or classes of plant, sewers or drainage pipes.

(4) In prescribing standards or other requirements under subsection (2) the Minister shall have regard to any criteria specified and published by the Agency under section 60.

(5) The Minister may make regulations providing for the grant of an authorisation to a sanitary authority by the Agency in respect of the discharge of:

(a) all, or specified classes of, or specified volumes of, effluents,

(b) effluents in designated areas or classes of areas or specified plant, sewers or drainage pipes, or specified classes of plant, sewers or drainage pipes, or

(c) effluents discharged to designated waters or classes of waters,

requiring compliance by such sanitary authority with such standards or other requirements as have been specified under subsection (2) (c).

(6) Where a standard or other requirement is prescribed under subsection (2), the sanitary authority shall, where necessary, take steps as soon as is practicable, or within such period as may be prescribed for compliance with such standard or other requirement, to ensure that the said effluent complies with the standard or other requirement.

(7) It shall be a good defence to a prosecution for an offence under any enactment other than this Act that the act constituting the alleged offence was in compliance with a standard or other requirement specified under subsection (2) (c) or an authorisation granted under this section.

(8) Section 26 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act, 1977, is hereby amended by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (1):

F71[(9) In this section a reference to a sanitary authority shall be construed, subject to the discretion of the Minister in relation to regulations under subsection (5), as including a reference to any person acting on behalf of or jointly with a sanitary authority.]

60.—(1) The Agency may, and shall if so directed by the Minister, specify and publish criteria and procedures, which in the opinion of the Agency are reasonable and desirable for the purposes of environmental protection, in relation to the management, maintenance, supervision, operation or use of all or specified classes of plant, sewers or drainage pipes vested in or controlled or used by a sanitary authority for the treatment of drinking water or for the treatment or disposal of any sewage or other effluent to any waters and a sanitary authority shall, in the performance of its functions, have regard to such criteria and procedures.

(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1), specified criteria and procedures may relate to—

(a) site selection,

(b) the location of effluent discharges, the periods during which discharges may be made or may not be made and the design and construction of outlets for discharges,

(c) the provision and maintenance of meters, gauges, other apparatus, manholes and inspection chambers.

F72[(3) In this section, a reference to a sanitary authority shall be construed as including a reference to any person acting on behalf of or jointly with a sanitary authority.]

61.—(1) (a) A sanitary authority in which is vested or which has control over, or the use of, any plant, sewer or drainage pipe from which effluent is discharged to waters and in respect of which standards or other requirements have been prescribed or an authorisation issued under section 59, or criteria and procedures have been specified under section 60, shall carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, such monitoring of the effluent or of the waters concerned or in connection with the management or operation of the plant, sewer or drainage pipe—

(i) as may be necessary or prescribed under section 59 (2) (e) to assess compliance with standards or other requirements prescribed, or authorisation issued, under section 59, or

(ii) as the Agency shall direct in relation to criteria and procedures specified under section 60, and shall transmit the results of such monitoring to the Agency in such manner and at such times as the Agency shall direct.

(b) The Agency shall carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, such monitoring as it considers necessary to verify results transmitted to it under paragraph (a).

(2) Where the Agency—

(a) is of the opinion that the monitoring being carried out in accordance with the provisions of subsection (1) (a) (i) is inadequate for the purposes of assessing compliance with standards or other requirements prescribed, or authorisation issued, under section 59, or

(b) is not satisfied with the response of a sanitary authority to a direction under subsection (1) (a) (ii),

it shall consult with the sanitary authority concerned, and, if the Agency is still dissatisfied with the response following such consultation, the Agency shall carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, the monitoring concerned and the costs of the monitoring may be recovered by the Agency from the sanitary authority as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(3) The Agency shall, from time to time, or at such intervals not exceeding two years and in such manner as may be prescribed for the purposes of monitoring compliance with specified standards or other requirements prescribed or authorisations issued under section 59, prepare and publish reports on the quality of effluents being discharged from plant, sewers or drainage pipes vested in, or controlled or used by, sanitary authorities and shall include in such reports such recommendations as it considers appropriate.

F73[(4) In this section, a reference to a sanitary authority shall be construed as including a reference to any person acting on behalf of or jointly with a sanitary authority.]

62.—(1) The Agency shall, as soon as is practicable, for the purposes of environmental protection, specify and publish criteria and procedures for the selection, management, operation and termination of use of landfill sites for the disposal of domestic and other wastes.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), specified criteria and procedures may relate to—

(a) site selection,

(b) design and bringing into operation of sites,

(c) impacts on the environment,

(d) leachate management, treatment and control,

(e) control and recovery of landfill gas,

(f) operational guidelines, including classification of wastes and establishment of acceptance criteria for landfill,

(g) acceptance of different classes of wastes at different classes of sites,

(h) fire, pest and litter control,

(i) appropriate recovery, reuse and recycling facilities,

(j) co-disposal of industrial and other wastes,

(k) monitoring of leachate, other effluents and emissions,

(l) termination of use and subsequent monitoring.

(3) (a) A local authority which manages or operates a landfill site to which specified criteria and procedures apply shall carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, such monitoring in connection with the management or operation of the landfill site as the Agency shall direct, and shall transmit the results of such monitoring and such information on the management or operation of the site to the Agency in such manner and at such times as the Agency shall direct.

(b) The Agency shall carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, such monitoring as it considers necessary to verify results transmitted to it under paragraph (a).

(4) Where the Agency is not satisfied with the response of a local authority to a direction under subsection (3) (a), it shall consult with the local authority concerned, and, if the Agency is still dissatisfied with the response following such consultation, the Agency shall carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, the monitoring concerned and the costs of the monitoring may be recovered by the Agency from the local authority as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(5) Where criteria and procedures specified under this section relate to a landfill site managed or operated by a local authority, the authority shall, where necessary, take steps as soon as is practicable to ensure that the management or operation of such landfill site complies with the specified criteria and procedures.

(6) The Agency shall, from time to time, prepare and publish reports on the management and operation of local authority landfill sites and shall include in such reports such recommendations as it considers appropriate.

(7) In this section “local authority” means a public waste collector for the purposes of the European Communities (Waste) Regulations, 1979.

63.—(1) The Agency may request a local authority to furnish, within a specified period, to it information in relation to the performance by the authority, either generally or in a specific case, of a statutory function of that authority in relation to environmental protection and the authority shall comply with such a request.

(2) The Agency may, having notified the local authority of its intention to do so, carry out an assessment of the performance by a local authority, either generally or in a specific case, of a statutory function of that authority in relation to environmental protection; for that purpose the authority shall comply with any request for the furnishing to the Agency of information, records or reports or the results of any monitoring by the authority, or, in connection with the foregoing, the affording to the Agency of access to any premises occupied by the authority, made by the Agency during the course of such assessment.

(3) Having exercised its powers under subsection (1) or (2), and having considered any information furnished to, or otherwise coming into the possession of, it in consequence of that exercise, the Agency may, with a view to ensuring the satisfactory performance by the local authority concerned of the function in question, do all or any of the following—

(a) issue such advice and recommendations to the authority as it considers necessary,

(b) provide, on such terms and conditions as may be agreed, such assistance, support or guidance as the Agency considers, in consultation with the authority, would be helpful,

(c) without prejudice to any of its powers under this Act or any other enactment, issue to the authority the terms of a direction ("the proposed direction") it proposes to issue, under subsection (5), to the authority requiring it to carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, within a specified period, such action related to the function in question as the Agency considers necessary for the purposes of environmental protection.

(4) The proposed direction shall specify a period within which the local authority may make observations to the Agency in relation to the proposal to make the direction (and the authority may make such observations within that period accordingly).

(5) After the expiration of the period referred to in subsection (4) and consideration of any observations made by the local authority under that subsection, the Agency may confirm, with or without modification, or decide not to confirm its proposal to make the direction concerned, and, in a case where the proposal is confirmed, the Agency shall issue to the authority the direction concerned accordingly and the authority shall comply with the direction within the period specified therein.

(6) Notwithstanding anything in this section, where the Agency is of the opinion that the failure of a local authority to perform in a satisfactory manner a statutory function of the authority in relation to environmental protection is resulting in significant environmental pollution, or in a real and imminent risk of such pollution, the Agency may direct the authority to carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, within a specified period, such action related to the function in question as the Agency considers necessary for the purposes of preventing, limiting, eliminating, abating or reducing such pollution, and the authority shall comply with such a direction.

(7) Where a local authority fails to comply with a direction issued under subsection (5) or (6), the Agency may carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, such action related to the function in question as it considers necessary to ensure compliance with the direction and the costs of such action may be recovered by the Agency from the authority as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(8) A local authority shall be guilty of an offence if it—

(a) fails to comply with a request under subsection (1) or (2), or

(b) fails to comply with a direction under subsection (5) or (6).

(9) The Minister may, with the consent of such other (if any) Minister of the Government as the Minister considers appropriate having regard to the functions of that other Minister, make regulations enabling the Agency to exercise, in relation to a public authority (other than a local authority within the meaning of this section) that, in the opinion of the Minister, performs a statutory function in relation to environmental protection, the powers conferred on the Agency by this section in relation to a local authority.

(10) Nothing in this section shall be construed as enabling the Agency to exercise any power or control under this section in relation to the making of a decision on an application for a permission under section 34 of the Act of 2000.

(11) In this section, "local authority" has the meaning assigned to it by the Local Government Act 2001.]

64.—(1) The Agency shall, after consultation with such persons or bodies (if any) as may be prescribed, prepare a national programme for the collection, analysis and publication of information on the levels, volumes and flows of water in rivers, lakes and groundwaters in the State (in this Act referred to as “hydrometric data”), and a copy of such programme shall, as soon as may be, be sent by the Agency to the Minister.

(2) A programme under this section may, after consultation with the persons or bodies (if any) referred to in subsection (1), be revised from time to time by the Agency and shall be reviewed at least every five years.

(3) It shall be the duty of the Agency to take appropriate steps to ensure that a programme under this section is implemented and for that purpose the Agency may—

(a) direct a local authority to provide, operate and maintain such gauges and other equipment as it may specify and to furnish specified information to the Agency in such manner and at such times as it may specify,

(b) make arrangements with any public authority, or other person or body to provide, operate and maintain such gauges and other equipment as it may specify and to furnish specified information to the Agency in such manner and at such times as it may specify,

(c) provide, operate and maintain gauges and other equipment for recording hydrometric data.

(4) Where the Agency is not satisfied with the response of a local authority to a direction under subsection (3) (a), it shall consult with the local authority concerned, and, if the Agency is still dissatisfied with the response following such consultation, the Agency shall carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, the monitoring concerned and the costs of the monitoring may be recovered by the Agency from the local authority as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

65.—(1) The Agency shall, after consultation with such persons or bodies (if any) as may be prescribed, prepare programmes for monitoring the quality of the environment and a copy of each such programme shall, as soon as may be, be sent by the Agency to the Minister and shall be published by the Agency.

(2) A programme under this section shall specify—

(a) the nature and extent of the monitoring to which the programme relates and the reasons why, in the opinion of the Agency, the monitoring should be carried out,

(b) the persons or bodies (including the Agency) by which the intended monitoring is to be carried out,

(c) the resources, including equipment, other facilities and staff, required to carry out the monitoring and the cost thereof,

(d) the arrangements which the Agency considers appropriate for access to, dissemination of, and publication of the results of the monitoring.

(3) It shall be the duty of the Agency to take appropriate steps to ensure that a programme under this section is implemented and for that purpose the Agency may—

(a) give such directions as it considers appropriate to any local authority in relation to the carrying out of monitoring by that authority,

(b) make arrangements with any public authority, or other person or body, for the carrying out of specified monitoring,

(c) carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, such monitoring as it may consider necessary for the purposes of the programme,

(d) assist any person or body in the carrying out of any part of the approved monitoring programme.

(4) The Minister may make regulations specifying the monitoring, or classes of monitoring in relation to which the Agency shall consult with him and obtain his agreement prior to giving any directions under subsection (3) (a).

(5) Where the Agency is not satisfied with the response of a local authority to a direction under subsection (3) (a), it shall consult with the local authority concerned, and, if the Agency is still dissatisfied with the response following such consultation, the Agency shall carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, the monitoring concerned and the costs of the monitoring may be recovered by the Agency from the local authority as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(6) The Agency may, after consultation with the persons or bodies (if any) referred to in subsection (1), amend or revoke a programme.

66.—(1) (a) The Agency may, for the purposes of assessing analytical performance and ensuring the validity and comparability of environmental F75[or radiological] data, establish, or arrange for the establishment of, an analytical quality control programme involving its own laboratories, laboratories provided and operated by local authorities, and such other laboratories as it deems appropriate from which data are submitted to the Agency in connection with the performance of any of its functions.

(b) The Agency may require any such laboratory to furnish it with such data as it may request for the purposes of any such programme.

(c) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (a), the Agency may establish different analytical quality control programmes for different laboratories or for different tests.

(2) The Agency may require any laboratory which supplies environmental F76[or radiological] data to the Agency or in connection with any function F77[of the Agency] to be accredited in accordance with Irish Standard I.S./EN 45001: 1989—General Criteria for the Operation of Testing Laboratories—or equivalent and with such other or further standards as may be set, from time to time, by the National Standards Authority of Ireland or equivalent standards.

(3) The Agency may provide for the imposition of charges and the payment of fees in connection with the provision of services or any procedural matters under this section.

(4) The Agency shall maintain a register of laboratories which comply with the requirements of subsection (1) or which are required to be accredited under subsection (2).

(5) The register shall include a list of tests to which such compliance or accreditation relates and shall be available for inspection by any person free of charge at the Agency's headquarters during office hours.

67.—The Agency shall keep and maintain, or cause to be kept and maintained, such records, including such summary records, of the results of any monitoring carried out, caused to be carried out, or arranged by it under this Act as it considers necessary for the purposes of any of its functions and shall, subject to section 39, make such records available, or cause such records to be made available, for inspection by the public at all reasonable times, and, as the Agency considers appropriate, publish, or cause to be published, such records.

68.—(1) The Agency shall exercise general supervision over the monitoring carried out by local authorities (and such other public authorities as may be prescribed) for the purposes of any enactment relating to environmental protection.

(2) The Agency shall keep itself informed of the nature and extent of the monitoring carried out by each local authority and by each public authority prescribed under subsection (1).

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), the Agency may require a local authority or other public authority prescribed under subsection (1) to provide information within a specified period on—

(a) the number and location of places within an area at which monitoring is being carried out and the frequency of such monitoring,

(b) the manner in which samples and measurements are taken and analyses are carried out,

(c) the equipment being used for the purposes of taking such samples and measurements or of carrying out such analyses,

(d) the results of such monitoring,

and the authority shall not unreasonably withhold the information sought.

(4) The Agency may, for the purposes of subsection (1), of its own volition, or at the request of a local authority or other public authority prescribed under subsection (1), advise the authority in relation to—

(a) the number and location of places within an area at which monitoring should be carried out and the frequency of such monitoring,

(b) the manner in which samples and measurements are to be taken and analyses are to be carried out,

(c) the equipment to be used for the purposes of taking such samples and measurements or of carrying out such analyses,

(d) the manner in which the results of such monitoring should be published or otherwise made available.

(5) The Agency may provide such services including general support, back-up, advice and assistance, as it considers necessary for the discharge by a local authority or other public authority prescribed under subsection (1) of its monitoring operations.

(6) The Agency may make arrangements with a local authority or other public authority prescribed under subsection (1) on such terms and conditions as may be agreed, for the provision of services under subsection (5).

(7) The Agency shall, at intervals not exceeding three years, prepare and publish a report on the monitoring operations of local authorities and other public authorities prescribed under subsection (1) and may, at more frequent intervals, report on monitoring operations related to particular environmental issues, or to particular areas, or to particular local authorities or to particular public authorities prescribed under subsection (1).

(8) A report under subsection (7) shall be laid by the Minister before each House of the Oireachtas.

69.—(1) The Agency shall, after consultation with such persons or bodies (if any) as may be prescribed, establish and maintain, or arrange to have established and maintained, a data base related to environmental quality.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the data base shall include information on—

(a) ambient air quality,

(b) the quality of inland waters, estuarial and coastal waters, and groundwaters,

(c) soil quality,

(d) noise levels,

(e) inventories of emissions to the environment, and

(f) such other matters as may be prescribed.

(3) For the purposes of this section, the Agency may require any public authority to make available to it, in such manner and at such times as it may specify, any information related to environmental quality in the control or possession of that authority and the authority shall not unreasonably withhold such information.

(4) (a) The Agency may make arrangements for information related to environmental quality held by any person or body to be supplied to it in such manner and on such terms and conditions as may be agreed and for such information to be included in the data base.

(b) The Agency may compile and maintain a register of sources of data related to environmental quality and the register shall be available for inspection by any person free of charge at the Agency's headquarters during office hours.

(5) The Agency shall, subject to subsection (4) and section 39 and on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit, make arrangements for public access to information contained in a data base prepared under this section.

70.—The Agency shall—

(a) within a period of five years after it is established and in every F78[fourth] year thereafter, or

(b) within such other periods as may be prescribed,

prepare and publish a report on the quality and condition of the environment in the State.

71.—(1) The functions of the Agency in relation to environmental research shall include the matters specified in this section.

(2) (a) The Agency shall advise the Minister on the need for environmental research and shall, at such intervals as the Minister may specify (or, where for the time being no intervals are specified by the Minister, at such intervals as it thinks fit) prepare programmes of such research.

(b) Programmes under this section shall specify—

(i) the subjects in relation to which research is necessary and the objectives of such research,

(ii) the manner in which and the persons or bodies by which such research could be carried out,

(iii) the estimated cost of particular research projects or operations.

(c) Programmes under this section shall be prepared after consultation with such persons or bodies as may be prescribed.

(3) (a) The Agency shall, from time to time, prepare and publish registers of environmental research projects and operations being carried out, or proposed to be carried out, in the State and which shall be available for inspection by any person free of charge at the Agency's headquarters during office hours.

(b) The Agency shall, insofar as is practicable, co-ordinate environmental research in the State and, for that purpose, may advise any public authority or any other person or body at the request of such person or body in relation to the allocation of financial support or other facilities for such research.

(4) The Agency may assist by money or in kind, or by the provision of services and facilities (including the services of staff), any person or body carrying out, or proposing to carry out, environmental research.

(5) The Agency may carry out, cause to be carried out, or arrange for, environmental research in accordance with a programme prepared under subsection (2).

(6) The Agency shall, in consultation with the Minister, establish and maintain liaison with the Commission of the European Communities and any other international organisation in relation to programmes of environmental research carried out, promoted, or assisted by the Commission or such other organisation, and shall promote and facilitate, as far as possible, participation in such programmes by persons and bodies in the State.

72.—(1) (a) Subject to Article 25 of the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations, 1989, and subsections (3) and (3A) of section 4 of the Local Government (Roads and Motorways) Act, 1974, or to any provision amending or replacing that Article or those subsections, the Agency may, and shall at the request of the Minister, or of any other Minister of the Government in relation to those matters for which that Minister is the competent authority, prepare guidelines on the information to be contained in F79[environmental impact assessment reports] in respect of development to which this section applies.

(b) The Agency shall, in preparing such guidelines, consult with the Minister and with any other Minister who in the opinion of the Agency is concerned.

(2) Guidelines under subsection (1) may relate to all development, or to any particular class of development, to which this section applies.

(3) (a) Regard shall be had, in the preparation of an F79[environmental impact assessment report] in respect of development to which this section applies, to any guidelines under subsection (1) which relate to the development concerned.

(b) A competent authority to which an F79[environmental impact assessment report] is submitted in respect of development to which this section applies shall, in considering the said statement, have regard to any guidelines under subsection (1) which relate to the development concerned.

(4) (a) A copy of an F79[environmental impact assessment report] prepared in respect of any development or class of development to which this section applies other than an activity for which a licence or revised licence under Part IV is required, shall be sent to the Agency by the person or body on whose behalf the F79[environmental impact assessment report] is prepared, at such time as may be prescribed.

(b) (i) The Agency may, having considered an F79[environmental impact assessment report] received pursuant to paragraph (a), make to the competent authority concerned such submissions or observations as it considers appropriate within such period as may be prescribed.

(ii) Where an F79[environmental impact assessment report] received by the Agency pursuant to paragraph (a) relates to development other than development by a State authority within the meaning of Article 23 of the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations, 1989, a copy of any submissions or observations submitted to the competent authority under subparagraph (i) shall be sent by the Agency to the person or body by whom the F79[environmental impact assessment report] was sent pursuant to paragraph (a).

(c) A competent authority which receives submissions or observations from the Agency under paragraph (b) (i) shall, notwithstanding the provisions of any other enactment as to the matters to which that authority is to have regard in dealing with a case involving an F79[environmental impact assessment report], have regard to such submissions or observations.

(5) The Agency shall be consulted and regard shall be had to its views, in the case of any development to which this section applies, before—

(a) a decision is made on an application for an exemption from a requirement of any enactment to prepare an F79[environmental impact assessment report], or

(b) a State authority within the meaning of Article 23 of the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations, 1989, decides that Article 23 (1) (a) shall not apply in relation to the proposed development.

(6) Any submissions or observations made by the Agency under subsection (4) (b) (i) or subsection (5) shall be available for inspection by any person free of charge at the Agency's headquarters during office hours.

(7) This section shall apply to—

(a) development which is of a class for the time being specified under Article 24 of the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations, 1989, or under any enactment amending or replacing that Article, and

(b) a motorway which has the meaning assigned to it by the Local Government (Roads and Motorways) Act, 1974.

(8) In this section, unless the context otherwise requires—

“competent authority” means—

(a) a Minister of the Government or other public authority or body to which an F79[environmental impact assessment report] in respect of development to which this section applies is required by or under any enactment to be submitted, or

(b) a State authority within the meaning of Article 23 of the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations, 1989, by which an F79[environmental impact assessment report] in respect of development to which this section applies is required to be prepared;

F79[“environmental impact assessment report”] includes an “environmental impact study” for the purposes of the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Motorways) Regulations, 1988.

73.—(1) The Minister shall, with the consent of the Minister for the Marine, make regulations providing, in relation to all or any leases, licences, permits, or other authorisations which the Minister for the Marine F80[or the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board] is empowered under law to grant, or to the renewal of any such leases, licences, permits or other authorisations, that such leases, licences, permits or other authorisations, or specified classes thereof, shall, for the purposes of environmental protection, be subject to the approval of the Agency and such approval may be given either without conditions or subject to such conditions related to the purposes of environmental protection as the Agency shall specify.

(2) Any conditions attached to an approval of the Agency under subsection (1) shall be attached by the Minister for the Marine to the grant by him of the relevant authorisation.

(3) The Minister for the Marine shall, following consultation with the Minister, by regulations specify the procedures under which the approval of the Agency under this section shall be obtained, including the period within which the Agency shall give a decision with regard to an approval, and different procedures or different periods may be prescribed in relation to different leases, licences, permits, or other authorisations or to different classes thereof.

(4) The Minister for the Marine may, where he is of opinion that it is in the public interest to do so and with the consent of the Minister, by order provide that any class of case not provided for by regulations under subsection (1), should, for the purposes of environmental protection, be subject to the approval of the Agency and the requirements of subsection (1) shall apply to such class of case so long as the relevant order remains in force.

(5) An order under subsection (4) may, following the agreement of the Minister, include such matters as may be prescribed under subsection (3) in relation to the class of case concerned.

(6) The Minister for the Marine may, by order, with the consent of the Minister, amend or revoke an order under subsection (4).

74.—(1) In this section, “environmental audit” means in relation to any process, development or operation, a systematic, documented and objective periodic assessment of the organisational structure, management systems, processes and equipment pertaining to, or incidental to, that process, development or operation, for the purposes of environmental protection and, in particular for the purposes of—

(a) facilitating management control of practices which may have an impact on environmental protection,

(b) assessing compliance with enactments related to environmental protection and with such environmental conditions as may be attached to any licence or permit granted or issued in connection with the aforesaid process, development or operation, and

(c) minimising the impact of the process, development or operation on the environment.

(2) (a) The Agency may promote the carrying out of environmental audits.

(b) The Agency may, and shall at the request of the Minister, prepare and publish guidelines on the carrying out of environmental audits, and such guidelines may relate to all processes, developments or operations or to any particular class of process, development or operation or to processes, developments or operations in particular areas or classes of areas.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2), guidelines may relate to—

(a) the aims of an environmental audit,

(b) the expertise to be included in an environmental audit team,

(c) the criteria to be considered and procedures to be followed in carrying out an environmental audit.

(4) For the purposes of promoting the carrying out of environmental audits, the Agency may, in relation to any process, development or operation or classes of processes, developments or operations—

(a) provide such assistance and support, on such terms and conditions as may be agreed with any person or body, for the purposes of developing and carrying out environmental audits or pilot or demonstration projects, and

(b) organise and promote, or assist in organising and promoting, conferences, seminars, lectures, demonstrations, training courses or publications.

75.—(1) The Agency shall, in relation to any environmental medium and without prejudice to its functions under section 103, specify and publish quality objectives which the Agency considers reasonable and desirable for the purposes of environmental protection.

(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1), the Agency may—

(a) prepare guidelines or recommendations on the manner and the period within which quality objectives could be achieved,

(b) identify the public authorities or other bodies which may contribute to the achievement of such objectives,

(c) assess the resources, including staff and funding, which would be required to achieve such objectives, or

(d) arrange for the dissemination of information on any of the matters provided for by this subsection or any other relevant matter to the Minister or any other Minister of the Government or other public authority or other body which in the opinion of the Agency may contribute to the achievement of such objectives.