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Environmental Challenges and Priorities
141
than the avoided external pollution
costs. Furthermore, Cashman
(2012) also notes that many positive
outcomes for Ireland’s environment
can be traced to the implementation
of EU legislation. These include:
n
Improved air quality for Dublin
n
Investment in waste-water
treatment
n
Establishment of protected nature
sites and
n
Better management of landfills.
Through prioritised and collaborative
efforts across central and local
government as well as with the
European Commission, Ireland
has significantly improved its
environmental performance by
resolving a substantial number
of environmental infringement
cases in the last few years. From a
position at the start of 2010 with
32 open infringements, Ireland has
more than halved the number of
open cases with 14 cases open at
the end of March 2012. The EC
has indicated that implementation
of environmental law will be a
cornerstone of the forthcoming
EU Seventh Environmental
Action Programme.
A fundamental basis of
environmental regulation is that
activities or persons that cause
environmental damage are held
accountable for their actions.
Environmental regulators in Ireland
are responsible for in excess of 500
environmental protection functions
contained within over 100 pieces
of legislation. Many Government
departments, authorities and
agencies have a statutory role
in protecting the environment
in Ireland, with significant
responsibilities for environmental
protection vested with the EPA
and the local authorities. There
is a continued need to have a
strong culture of compliance with
environmental legislation, and
to ensure that those who flout
the laws are made to pay for
their actions. This will require a
continued emphasis on collaborative
approaches between regulators, with
prioritisation of available resources
to deliver positive environmental
outcomes.
The Role of Research
in Environmental
Protection
Environmental issues tend to be
complex and influenced by a
range of causal factors. Effective
environmental policies therefore
require robust and in-depth
knowledge to underpin actions.
Research and innovation play
a pivotal role in environmental
protection by providing information
on and assessments of the current
state of the environment, building
environmental projections and
trends, and developing new tools
for environmental management. The
EPA’s Science, Technology, Research
and Innovation for the Environment
(STRIVE) Programme has been
planned specifically to support
environmental research activity in
areas closely aligned to policy needs
(Colgan & Donlon, 2010).
Sustainable development represents
the most fundamental long-term
challenge facing the world today.
It raises profound problems for
public policy-makers, businesses and
civil society alike. It is increasingly
recognised by international
organisations (such as the UN and
OECD Environmental Performance Review of Ireland
The 2010 OECD review of Ireland’s environmental performance
examined progress since the previous review in 2000 and was
broadly positive in its conclusions (OECD, 2010). The review
noted that environmental policies had been improved and that
environmental institutions had been strengthened. The OECD
welcomed measures adopted to achieve an innovation-based,
green, low-carbon economy and recognised significant
investments that were made in environmentally-related
infrastructure. Overall, Ireland was judged to have generally good
air and water quality and an energy intensity (energy use per unit
of GDP) that was the lowest among OECD countries.
Some significant challenges were identified however and the OECD
recommended rapid action is necessary in three essential areas:
n
Ireland should strengthen its efforts to mitigate greenhouse
gas emissions in transport, agriculture and in the commercial
and residential sectors
n
Ireland should provide better incentives for efficient use of
water resources by charging households for the consumption
of water
n
Ireland should ratify the Aarhus Convention on Access to
Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and
Access to Justice in Environmental Matters.