New legislation is being introduced to "provide more certainty" around the timeframe for decisions on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) licences.

Minister for the Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien secured cabinet approval this week for the publication of the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

The bill provides powers to prescribe timeframes for EPA licencing decisions, as well as providing more options for the agency to "efficiently regulate minor changes to industrial licences".

There are approximately 900 EPA licences in operation in Ireland which regulate large installations in sectors such as waste, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, intensive agriculture (poultry and pigs), energy, food and drink production, and cement production.

Installations carrying out the above activities are required to have an EPA licence (industrial emissions, integrated pollution control or waste licence) in place before they operate.

In addition, before changes that affect emissions to an existing site are made, the operator is required to apply to amend (review) an existing EPA licence before such changes are made.

The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment said that issues identified with the current legislation, which governs the licensing regime, include that:

There is no definite timeframe within which decisions on licence applications/reviews are made;
It is taking longer than is optimal for decisions to be made;
Even minor proposed changes to a site require a full licence review (the full licence is examined, not just elements associated with a minor proposed change).

Commenting on the developments, Minister O'Brien said the legislation will "continue to protect our environment and ensure that our laws are appropriate but also proportionate, when it comes to regulating industrial activity".

"Introducing definite and shorter timeframes for licence decisions will provide more certainty for investment," the minister said.

"This, in turn, will boost sustainable development, facilitate economic activity and improve our competitiveness."