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Reporting pollution

There are a number of state bodies with responsibilities for environmental protection and the purpose of this procedure is to provide a streamlined and transparent service to the public so that environmental complaints can be processed in an effective, timely and consistent manner.

Local authority

Local authorities have a primary role for investigating and resolving complaints about pollution and environmental protection matters within their functional areas.

Complaints from the public are received by the environment section by:

  • Letter
  • Telephone: (065) 6846331, contact during out of office hours is at (065) 6821616
  • Email: enviroff@clarecoco.ie

It is preferable that complaints to Clare County Council are made in writing using the environmental complaints form to the Environment and Water Services Department. You can view contact details on this page. 

It is advisable for the complainant to keep a copy of any correspondence sent, in order to facilitate any necessary follow-up. Complainants who request confidentiality must do so in writing.

It is important that as much information and detail as possible is provided in the complaint and that good directions are available to ensure staff investigating the complaint can respond effectively. All complaints are investigated within 21 days. However depending on the works require to remedy a complaint, it may take some time before full resolution of the complaint. Every effort is made to contact the complainant once the complaint has been resolved.

What the local authority expect of you

Please note that local authority staff and staff of other statutory agencies are entitled to be treated with courtesy and respect. Accordingly, the following types of behaviour are not acceptable:

  • Harassment of staff by use of offensive or inappropriate language
  • Behaviour which is disruptive
  • Use of violence or threat of violence towards staff

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Who to contact

Office of Environmental Enforcement (OEE)

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Environmental Enforcement (OEE) is responsible for enforcing licences issued by the EPA and also acts as a resource for members of the public who have exhausted all other avenues of complaint.

If the subject of the complaint relates to a facility, which is licensed by the EPA, then the complainant should contact the licenced facility concerned – to advise of the incident and if the matter is not resolved the complaint should be forwarded directly to the nearest OEE regional office.

Contact details are:

South / South West Region,
Environmental Protection Agency,
Inniscarra,
Co. Cork
Telephone: (021) 4875540
Locall: (1891) 335599
Fax: (021) 4875545
Email: info@epa.ie
Website: www.epa.ie

Please not that details of the IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention Control) licences and waste licences issued by the Agency are available on the EPA's website.

Health Service Executive (HSE)

The Health Service Executive is responsible for dealing with complaints about public health matters. Concerns about public health should be brought to the attention of the Health Service Executive.

Contact details are:

Environmental Health Services,
Health Service Executive,
HSE West,
Sandfield Centre,
Ennis,
Co. Clare
Telephone: (065) 6868000
Fax: (065) 6868001
Website: www.hse.ie

Regional Fisheries Board

The Regional Fisheries Boards are statutory bodies mainly responsible for aquatic life forms and fish habitat. They investigate complaints about fish kills and water pollution matters, including pollution arising from local authority works and are also interested in any activity that impacts on waters such as dredging, gravel removal, bridge construction etc.

If the complaint concerns a fish kill or a serious water pollution incident, the matter should be reported to the relevant Regional Fisheries Board as well as to the relevant local authority.

Contact details are:

Shannon Regional Fisheries Board,
Ashbourne Business Park,
Dock Road,
Limerick
Telephone: (061) 300238
Fax: (061) 300308
Email: info@shannon-fishery-board.ie
Web: www.shannon-fishery-board.ie

The Regional Fisheries Boards operate a 24 hour emergency answering service for the reporting of emergency situations.
 

National Parks and Wildlife Service

The National Parks and Wildlife Service is responsible for investigating complaints about wildlife and habitat protection matters such as damage to wildlife, flora and fauna or protected areas such as National Heritage Areas.

Contact details are:

National Parks and Wildlife Service,
7 Ely Place,
Dublin 2
Telephone: (01) 8882000
Fax: (01) 8883272
Locall: (1890) 202021 (from Republic of Ireland only)

Local NPWS Regional Management Contact Information

Email: natureconservation@environ.ie
Website: www.npws.ie and www.environ.ie

Health and Safety Authority

The Health and Safety Authority is responsible for securing health and safety in the workplace.

Contact details are:

Health and Safety Authority,
10 Hogan Place,
Dublin 2
Telephone: (01) 6147020
Fax: (01) 6147020
Website: www.hsa.ie

Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland

Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland is the national organisation with regulator, monitoring and advisory responsibilities in matter pertaining to ionisating radiation with radioactive contamination in the environment.

Contact Details are:

Radiological Protection Institue of Ireland,
3 Clonskeagh Square,
Dublin 14
Telephone: (01) 2697766
Fax: (01) 2697437
Email: rpii@rpii.ie
Website: www.rpii.ie

Shellfish waters directive

The European Communities (Quality of Shellfish Waters) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No.268 of 2006) and (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. No.55 of 2009), has designated 49 new shellfish waters nationally. Pollution reduction plans are required to be established for each of these waters in order to improve and protect water quality. The plans cover the catchment area of the shellfish water where pressures and impacts that can affect water quality have been assessed. These pressures were then prioritised and actions recommended to ensure protection of waters and compliance with legislation.

Please see the Final Characterisation Reports, Final Pollution Reduction Programmes and Final Strategic Environmental Assessment for County Clare under the Shellfish Waters Directive which are on the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government website. These documents are also available from the environment section reception of Clare County Council at Áras Contae and Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare.
 

Page last reviewed: 04/10/10

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Contact

Roads, Environment and Water Services Department
Clare County Council
Áras Contae an Chláir
New Road
Ennis
Co. Clare
V95 DXP2
(065) 6846331
Water/wastewater enquiries (Irish Water): 1800 278278
Fax: (065) 6846444
Opening hours
Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. to  4:00 p.m.
More details and map