IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

The European Union’s Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) (as amended) requires Member States to protect habitats and wildlife areas of European interest by, among other things, designating sites as Special Areas of Conservation in order to create a coherent European ecological network.

The hyperlink: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/habitatsdirective/index_en.htm which connects to the European Commission Environment (Nature and Biodiversity) website also contains a further link to the text of the Habitats Directive.

The effect of these Regulations is to complete the formal designation of the site as a Special Area of Conservation in accordance with Article 4 of the Directive. The geographical area of the Special Area of Conservation designated by these Regulations is defined in Schedule 1 (a map of the area) and Schedule 2 (a list of the townlands in question or a description of the area). For more detailed maps than those contained in Schedule 1, or for greater detail on boundary delineation, contact should be made with the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht or by viewing the relevant text or map details on www.npws.ie.

The natural habitat types and animal and plant species lists cited in Schedule 3 of these Regulations are specified, in accordance with the Directive, in order to ensure their conservation (i.e. the measures required to maintain or restore the natural habitats and the populations of species of wild fauna and flora at a favourable status). The updated list of published conservation objectives referred to in Regulation 3 is available on www.npws.ie. Public authorities should have regard to these objectives when undertaking a screening or appropriate assessment of plans or projects in accordance with the EU Habitats Directive.

Those activities that require consent of the Minister or in some circumstances another public authority listed at Schedule 4 to these Regulations are cited for their potential to cause disturbance or damage to the natural habitat types and animal and plant species specified in Schedule 3 of these Regulations. Landowners or occupiers should contact the local National Parks and Wildlife Service office of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht before undertaking any of the works listed at Schedule 4. (See www.npws.ie for contact details). Please note that activities other than those listed at Schedule 4 to these Regulations, such as effluent discharge, construction work, aquaculture, fishing or forestry require a licence or permission from the appropriate consent authority.

These Regulations provide (Regulations 6 and 7) that contravention of the provisions of these Regulations shall constitute an offence. Regulation 6 also provides for penalties.

This Order brings into operation certain general provisions of the Water Services Act 2017 ; also miscellaneous amendments to the Water Services Act 2007 , the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 , the Water Services Act 2014 , the Local Government Act 1998 and the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 .

These Regulations give effect to Directive (EU) 2015/2193 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from medium combustion plants.

The Regulations designate the Environmental Protection Agency as the competent authority for the purposes of the Directive, provide for a mandatory system of registration for combustion plants with a rated thermal input equal to or greater than 1 MW and less than 50 MW irrespective of the fuel that they use, and provide for emission limit values for specified pollutants for those plants.

iOJ L 313, 28.11.2015, p. 1-19

This Order specifies the threshold and allowance amounts referred to under Section 53B(1) of the Water Services Act 2007 (as inserted by Section 9 of the Water Services Act 2017 ) below which Irish Water shall provide water services without charge to a domestic customer.

The threshold and allowance amounts are set with reference to the Review of Demand for Water Services furnished to the Minister by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities under Section 53A of the Water Services Act 2007 (as inserted by Section 8 of the Water Services Act 2017 ). A dwelling with water usage above the ‘threshold amount’ — now specified as 213,000 litres per year — may be regarded as one with excessive water usage, unless such usage is otherwise permitted under the Water Services Acts 2007 to 2017. Dwellings having more than 4 residents are given an additional ‘allowance amount’ of 25,000 litres per year, above the threshold amount, for every person beyond 4 persons ordinarily resident in the dwelling.

These regulations amend the Waste Management (Tyres and Waste Tyres) Regulations 2017 in order to defer the introduction of a visible Environmental Management Cost for truck tyres.

The purpose of these regulations is to extend until 1 January, 2020 an exemption provided for under the Waste Management (Prohibition of Waste Disposal by Burning) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 286 of 2009) as amended by the Waste Management (Prohibition of Waste Disposal by Burning) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 538 of 2015) which exists to allow farmers, as a last resort, to dispose of wastes generated by agricultural practices.

An Act to provide for discontinuing and extinguishing liabilities in respect of charges imposed by Irish Water for the provision of water services to a dwelling; for refund of certain payments made in respect of charges so imposed; for setting a threshold amount; for liability to pay for provision by Irish Water of water services exceeding the threshold amount to a dwelling; for allowances and exemptions from that liability in certain circumstances; for funding for Irish Water; for establishment of a body to be known in the Irish language as An Fóram Uisce or in the English language as the Water Forum; for establishment of a body to be known in the Irish language as An Comhlacht Comhairleach Uisce or in the English language as the Water Advisory Body; for amending arrangements in relation to the Local Government Fund; for those purposes to amend the Local Government Act 1998 , the Valuation Act 2001 , the Water Services Act 2007 , the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 and the Water Services Act 2014 ; and to provide for matters connected therewith.

This Statutory Instrument gives effect to the decision of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to transfer the property listed in the schedule to the Order from water services authorities to Irish Water in accordance with section 12 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 .