Completion Of Ballyvaughan Water Scheme Contract Essential

Clare County Council has confirmed that the final completion of a €5 million Water Scheme contract will be required to provide a long term resolution to the water quality issues experienced in the Ballyvaughan area. Two Boil Notices have already been issued this year. According to Hugh McGrath, a senior engineer with the Water Services … Read more

EPA’s Environment in Focus Website Launched

The EPA has launched its new Environment in Focus site. The environmental indicators’ website allows easier public access to environmental data that has been gathered by the EPA and external bodies. Information is presented as a dashboard of key environmental indicators arranged under seven themes – climate change, air, water, waste, land, nature and socio-economics. … Read more

European Commission Gives €4.1m for Irish Nature Conservation Schemes

The European Commission today approved grants to restore raised bogs in County Westmeath and to improve water quality in the Special Conservation Area river, the Upper Blackwater in County Cork. The grants will be paid to Coillte in Westmeath and ‘Integrated Resource Development’ in Cork. Ireland’s raised bogs represent some of the finest examples of … Read more

New Planning Bill Marks a New Era

The enactment of new planning laws will see the beginning this summer of a transformation in how we plan our towns, cities and regions, according to Minister of State with responsibility for Planning and Sustainable Development, Ciaran Cuffe, TD. Staff at the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government will begin work this summer … Read more

Minister for Environment Must Provide Temporary Exemption of Waste Water Requirements for One-off Houses, Says Oireachtas Committee

The Minister for the Environment and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must provide as a matter of urgency, a temporary exemption for some parts of the country, from the new waste water regulations relating to the construction of one-off houses, a report by the Oireachtas European Scrutiny Committee has stated. The Committee is calling on … Read more