IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

These Regulations give effect to part of the Council Directive of the European Communities of 20th March, 1985, on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning the lead content of petrol. The Regulations which come into operation on 1st January, 1987, lay down the values prescribed by the Directive for the benzene content, the octane ratings and the permitted lead contamination of unleaded petrol.

These Regulations amend certain provisions of the Wildlife Act, 1976 , which obtain to the control of species of wild bird which may cause damage or injury to specified interests. The Regulations empower the Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry to declare that any or all of the species of wild birds mentioned in the First Schedule thereto may be captured or killed by the means, arrangements or methods set out in the Second Schedule where they represent a threat to public health or safety or are likely to cause damage or injury to crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry or fauna. The Regulations also empower the Minister to declare that any species of wild bird may be captured or killed where he is of the opinion that such species may represent a threat to air safety.

These Regulations provide for increases in fees to accompany applications for appointment as vehicle testers, for vehicle tests, and for certificates of roadworthiness; confine vehicle testing to trained personnel (employed by vehicle testers) named on a register to be established by the relevant local authorities; empower the Garda Siochana to stop, inspect and roadworthiness test vehicles to which the Regulations apply; extend liability for using a vehicle without a roadworthiness certificate to include the owner (where the driver is not the owner); clarify the power of the Garda Siochana to demand production of a certificate of roadworthiness, at a Garda Station nominated by the driver or owner; and provide that imported used heavy goods vehicles, buses, taxis and ambulances, over 1 year old (presented for registration as Irish vehicles) must be roadworthiness tested, prior to being first licensed to carry goods or passengers in a public place.

These Regulations prescribe quality standards to be applied by local and sanitary authorities when licensing discharges of effluents containing hexachlorocyclohexane or mercury to waters or to sewers under Sections 4 and 16 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act, 1977 . The Regulations give effect to Council Directive No. 84/491/EEC of 9th October, 1984 (O.J. No. L274/11, 17th October, 1984) on hexachlorocyclohexane discharges and Council Directive No. 84/156/EEC of 8th March, 1984 (O.J. No. L74/49, 17th March, 1984) on mercury discharges by sectors other than the chlor-alkali electrolysis industry.

E.E.C. Directive No. 79/409 on the Conservation of Wild Birds provides for the conservation of populations of wild birds by, among other things, classifying important ornithological sites as special protection areas for them. The effect of these Regulations is to classify nine sites as special protection areas and to provide that contravention of the provisions of these Regulations shall constitute an offence.

Control Of Dogs Act, 1986 Section 24 Burial of carcases.

24.(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, a person shall not without reasonable excuse permit the carcase of any livestock to remain unburied in any field or other place to which a dog can gain access

2) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to any carcase or part of a carcase which has been treated with poison in any case where the provisions of section 8 of the Protection of Animals Act, 1911 (as extended by section 14 of the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act, 1965, and restricted by section 34  of the Wildlife Act, 1976 have been complied with.

These regulations provide for the fluoridation of a further forty public piped water supplies, in addition to those water supplies already fluoridated in accordance with previous regulations made under the Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act, 1960 . The appropriate health board is required to arrange for the fluoridation of the water supply while the local authority, acting as agent for the health board, fluoridates the water supply in each case.

The purpose of the Regulations is to give legal effect to Council Directive No. 80/777/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the exploitation and marketing of natural mineral waters. In effect, the Regulations concern the definition of natural mineral water and the conditions for the exploitation and marketing thereof. The Regulations should be read in conjunction with the Council Directive