Last year (2024) was a key year for the EPA, in the provision of timely and targeted information on the environment.
In 2024, the EPA completed more inspections, monitoring, and sampling than ever before, including:
Over 2,500 waterbodies monitored
Over 1,300 inspections of industrial and waste facilities
Over 210 urban wastewater treatment plant inspections
200+ Drinking water plant inspections
Continuous air quality monitoring at 115 stations
The EPA’s 2004 State of the Environment report highlights that across the five key indicators (air, water, climate, nature and waste), Ireland’s scores range from Moderate to Very Poor, and requires immediate, transformative action.
30th January 2025: In its Annual Highlights, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showcases its work in addressing environmental challenges across Ireland.
Publishing the review, EPA Director General, Laura Burke said: “A key priority for the EPA continues to be the provision of timely and targeted information on the environment. In 2024, the EPA published our landmark four-year assessment of the State of Ireland’s Environment. The report highlights the progress that Ireland has made, however, it identifies that future prosperity and health are threatened unless we better protect our environment. Delivering on the five key environmental priorities identified in the State of the Environment Report would support providing a healthy, clean and resilient environment for ourselves and future generations.”
During 2024, the EPA also published over 50 major reports on water, air, circular economy, environmental compliance and more. Highlights include:
Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions decreased by 6.8% in 2023 – their lowest level in over three decades.
16 towns and villages continued to discharge raw sewage daily in 2024 – a reduction from 19 in 2023 but still unacceptably high.
A 2024 report showed that Ireland continues to rely on exporting municipal waste with 1.24 million tonnes (39%) of all municipal waste being exported in 2022.
79% of bathing waters in Ireland had excellent water quality in 2023.
EPA awarded funding of €18.5 million for environmental and climate research, a significant increase over previous years.
Latest figures show that less than a third of packaging waste is being recycled (2022 figures).
EPA’s Climate Change in The Irish Mind study showed that 53% of the Irish population correctly understands that climate change is caused mostly by human activities.
Concluding, Ms Burke added, “In 2025, the EPA will continue to use our expertise, extensive monitoring systems, evidence and research to protect, improve, and restore Ireland’s environment.”
Everyone knew this weekend was a bank holiday weekend, but for the second weekend running, Clothes Pods, in Parnell Carpark remain unemptied, left to overflow, while people happy to recycle, were left without service once again.
Scene for the past two weekends in Parnell St. Carpark, Thurles, Co, Tipperary.
Last weekend, it was a similar scenario.
Early on Monday morning last (January 24th), a worker/workers removed the excess clothing they could reach; latter sticking out of locked, tightly packed Clothes Pods and also picked up numerous bags of clothing strewn on the ground, caused solely by the lack of space being provided. Same were then tidied up, placed and tied neatly into clear plastic bags for collection.
However, since last weekend these locked Pods themselves were never emptied and today just 5 days later, (Saturday February 1st), our picture, shown above, tells the true tale of failures in basic Tipperary County Council administration. This situation, which in fact constitutes illegal dumping, is helped by the fact that 3 clothing pods, one at ALDI carpark, one at Thurles Swimming Pool and one at junction of Mitchel Street and Boheravroon (Borroway), have been removed and not replaced since possibly July of 2024. See our reports of August 3rd, 2024 – on May 3rd 2024 – going back as far as June 7th, 2021.
Surely someone on the ground, e.g. Thurles Traffic Warden etc., who presently go around photographing parked car registration plates, could be instructed to report on a daily/weekly basis, in an effort to correct this major issue, in a town which plays at pretending to encourage tourism.
Plastic Bag Levy regulations in Ireland came into operation on July 1st 2007. Today, if a customer requests a plastic bag, the retailer must, generally, since that date, charge €0.22 per plastic bag supplied. Of course there are exceptions; these are for bags of certain sizes, and for bags which contain fresh fruit, unpackaged vegetables, meats and certain other products.
Hereunder, Leitrim native Seamus O’Rourke, writer, director, actor, poet and independent producer extoles the unvirtuous over use of such outer packaging, as only Seamus can.
The plastic bag levy’s primary purpose was to reduce the consumption of disposable plastic bags by influencing consumer behaviour.
Moneys gathered by this levy is, we understand, remitted into the ‘Circular Economy Fund’, which is supposedly used to support initiatives in reducing waste and to promote the reuse and recycling of goods. On a positive side, it has had a major effect on consumer behaviour since its introduction. Annual sales of lightweight plastic bags have dropped from a high of more than 130 million to just 8.3 million at the end of 2022, with all the associated benefits for Ireland’s environment.
Alternatives to disposable plastic shopping bags, such as reusable bags are now available in shops around the country, and the consumer has changed to using these alternatives. In the grocery sector, disposable plastic bags have largely been replaced by reusable shopping bags.
Plastic shopping bags designed for re-use are exempt from this levy provided the retailer charges at least 70 cent for each bag.
Major opposition, grave concerns and extreme anger has irrupted, due to a planning application for a wind-farm on the outskirts of Thurles town, at townlands of Brittas, Rossestown, Ballygammane and Clobanna. The planning application provides for 10 to 12 X 185m high turbines, together with an accompanying battery farm, latter to store electricity, same to be generated by this proposed project.
These turbines to be erected, we understand, reach some 170 metres(590 feet) in height, (e.g. five times the height of Thurles Cathedral), and would introduce a massive invasion of towering infrastructure overlooking the town and surrounding countryside.
The proposed wind turbines are expected to generate/export at least 60 million watts, if erected in the nearby townlands of Brittas, Rossestown and Clobanna, all situated less than a 5 to 10 minute drive north of Thurles town. We understand that the plans include an underground cable connection to the national electricity grid.
The now launched Brittas Wind Farm and Ballygammane Battery Farm Action Group have begun an online campaign in their effort to fundraise some €10,000, same required to oppose this planning, now ruled as a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) by An Bord Pleanála.
Proposed Storage Battery Farm.
In May of last year the planning appeals board ruled that the Brittas wind farm project constituted a Strategic Infrastructure Development, requiring Brittas Windfarm Limited, to submit their plans directly to An Bord Pleanála.
The newly formed Brittas and Ballygammane action group held a public protest meeting on Wednesday last, January 15th, at which it was agreed that a target of €10,000 could be reached if 100 individuals donated €100. Within the last 10 days, the action group, has already generated over €5,320 in donations and further donations of even small amounts will be greatly appreciated. Funds collected will be strictly used towards paying consultants to make the town’s case to An Bord Pleanála, thus bringing a halt to this threat of a wind farm development and its associated battery storage farm.
Concerns were expressed at the meeting, regarding the downgrading of local property values, construction disruption, visual impact, noise, flicker impact and the immediate obvious repercussion on this area’s environment.
At the protest meeting there was also a major concern expressed that a battery farm, of some 48 battery storage units, now proposed for the Ballygammane townland, could go on fire; with the impact of this on Thurles and surrounding villages visualised as being immense, while this project financially benefits only a few individuals.
Tomorrow, Monday January 27th, the planting of 2500 trees will take place on the Mill Road, southeast of Thurles Town (Eircode E41 NP02), same sponsored by Allied Irish Bank as part of the 100 Million Tree’s Initiative.
The public are welcome to attend at 10:00am, with schools; the local residents association and Refresh Thurles (Tidy Towns) being invited to volunteer to aid with the planting; on land held by Tipperary County Council and paid for by taxpayers.
Storm Éowyn lays tree to rest in St Patrick’s cemetery Thurles. No damage to surrounding grave sites. Picture: G. Willoughby.
100 Million Trees Project:
The 100 Million Trees Project is a nationalNot-for-Profit initiative being run by siblings, Richard, David and Tina Mulcahy.
The project aims to see the planting of 100 million native Irish trees across the island of Ireland over the next decade, as a community-driven initiative to reverse the immense environmental damage caused by the reduction of forests worldwide and the loss of huge areas of biodiversity.
The project’s ambitious aim will be achieved through densely planting between 500 and 2,500 native Irish trees at a time across small areas of land using ‘The Miyawaki method’. Named after the Late Japanese Botanist, Professor Akira Miyawaki(1928-2021), who developed the technique in the 1970s as a means to restore degraded land, the Miyawaki Method of overplanting trees, has been successful in creating over 1,700 forests worldwide.
Storm Éowyn drowns tree in Drish River, south on Mill Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Picture: G. Willoughby.
By planting excess trees together, these grow 10 times faster, 30 times denser, create an area 100 times more biodiverse and most importantly create a very rapid carbon sink. This inexpensive approach requires significantly smaller planting areas and can be carried out on unused or fallow land across Ireland. Dense areas of afforestation can also actually play a role in reducing the impact of forest fires, while at the same time provide excellent areas of biodiversity. In 2022-2023 – 20,600 Irish native trees were planted in 6 counties on the island of Ireland. In 2023-2024 – a further 201,750 Irish native trees were planted in 19 counties. In 2024-2025 the target is to plant a further 550,000 trees in 28 counties.
This event is to be welcomed.
Meanwhile; sadly 3 mature trees lost their lives during Storm Éowyn last Thursday night – two trees in the immediate vicinity of Thurles Cemetery(One inside & one outside the entrance gates), and another mature tree which met its ‘Waterloo’ in the Drish River, latter situated on the Mill Road south of Thurles town.
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