IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

These Regulations amend the European Communities (Quality of Bathing Water) Regulations, 1988 which prescribe bathing water quality standards and the bathing areas to which they apply, together with the sampling programme and the methods of analysis and inspection to be used by local authorities to determine compliance with the standards. The effect of the amendment is to add 12 bathing areas to the 52 bathing areas listed in the First Schedule of the 1988 Regulations. The Regulations as amended give effect to Council Directive No. 76/160/EEC of 8 December, 1975 (O.J. No. L31/1, 5 February, 1976) concerning the quality of bathing water.

The purpose of these Regulations is to implement Council Directive 8¾77/EEC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work.

The Regulations apply to all work which exposes persons to risk arising from the inhalation of asbestos.

The Regulations aim to protect the health of workers by reducing the level of exposure to asbestos fibres in the workplace, by setting exposure limits for asbestos dust concentrations and by the establishment of sampling and measuring methods.

The Regulations provide that workers have access to an assessment of their state of health, if they so wish. In addition, adequate information must be provided to workers and their representatives at the workplace in relation to the potential risks to health from exposure to asbestos and the precautions to be taken.

The Order, establishes the land known as Knockomagh Wood situate in the townland of Pookeen and county of Cork as a nature reserve so that it can be managed in such a way as to ensure the conservation of the woodland ecosystem which it constitutes.

The Order, establishes part of the seashore at Tearaght Island, county Kerry, as a nature reserve so that it can be managed in such a way as to ensure the conservation of the marine ecosystem which it constitutes.

The Order recognises the land at Tearaght Island, County Kerry, as a nature reserve so that it can be managed in such a way as to ensure the conservation of the grassland ecosystem which it constitutes.

The Order recognises the land at Derrymore Island, County Kerry as a nature reserve so that it can be managed in such a way as to ensure the conservation of the sand dune/marsh ecosystem which it constitutes

The Order recognises the land at Derrycunihy Wood, County Kerry, as a nature reserve so that it can be managed in such a way as to ensure the conservation of the woodland ecosystem which it constitutes.

The purpose of these Regulations is to give legal effect to EEC Directives on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to permissible noise levels of construction plant and equipment, i.e. compressors, tower cranes, welding generators, power generators, powered handheld concrete breakers and picks, hydraulic excavators, rope-operated excavators, dozers, loaders and excavator-loaders, designed for use in or about civil engineering or building sites.

The Regulations come into effect on the 1st day of January, 1989. The Regulations prohibit, from that date, the manufacture, importation or marketing of construction plant or equipment covered by the Regulations unless the construction plant or equipment bears the EEC mark and unless an EEC type-examination certificate and certificate of conformity have been issued in respect thereof.

The Regulations also provide for (i) EOLAS to issue EEC type-examination certificates and (ii) manufacturers to place the EEC mark on, and to issue certificates of conformity in respect of, construction plant or equipment which conforms to the Directives and in respect of which an EEC type-examination certificate has been issued, (iii) periodic checks to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Regulations and (iv) a review by the Minister, at the request of an aggrieved person, of a decision of EOLAS in relation to an EEC type-examination certificate.