Environment

Local authorities may request the registered owner of an abandoned vehicle parked in a public place to remove it.

Local authorities may take action against those who carry out unauthorised burning of waste in backyards.

Local authorities may collect bulky goods such as large electrical items or furniture from households for disposal.

The Waste Management (Prohibition of Waste Disposal by Burning) Regulations 2009 makes it an offence to dispose of waste by burning.

Local authorities regulate commercial food waste disposal to ensure the waste is suitable for composting.

Local authorities regulate the disposal and recycling of construction and demolition waste such as soil, rubble, bricks, timber and plaster.

Local authorities authorise and maintain a register of treatment facilities that deal with end of life vehicles.

Local authorities regulate the disposal of end of life vehicles.

Local authorities regulate the sale and use of plastic film on farms to ensure it is collected and disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

Local authorities maintain a register of producers and manufacturers of farm plastics.

You must notify the National TransFrontier Shipments Office in Dublin City Council if you want to import, export or transport hazardous waste.

Local authorities regulate the transport and disposal of hazardous waste.

Local authorities manage closed local authority landfill sites in line with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.

Local authorities regulate domestic food waste disposal to ensure the waste is suitable for composting.

Local authorities may arrange collection of household hazardous waste at designated sites.

Local authorities regulate the payment of levies for waste disposed of at landfills.

Local authorities may provide landfills where you can dispose of waste that cannot be recycled or composted.

Local authorities regulate the handling of mercury and amalgam waste from dental practices.

Local authorities regulate the disposal of packaging waste by businesses.

Major producers of packaging waste must register with the local authority to become self compliant in the proper disposal of packaging waste.

Local authorities regulate compliance by retailers with the plastic bag levy. Retailers must charge customers for plastic bags at the point of sale.

Operators of sewage sludge facilities, must register with the local authority for a certificate of registration to meet waste management requirements.

Local authorities maintain a public register of sewage sludge facilities.

Local authorities regulate the storage of waste in sewage sludge facilities from waste water treatment plants and septic tanks.

Local authorities may provide information and advice to encourage households to prevent and manage food waste.

You must notify the National TransFrontier Shipments Office in Dublin City Council if you want to export, import or transit shipments of waste within, into or out of the European Union.

The National TransFrontier Shipments Office in Dublin City Council regulates the exporting, importing and transporting of waste shipments on behalf of all local authorities.

The National Waste Collection Office in Offaly County Council issues waste collection permits to approved collectors or transporters of waste.

Local authorities enforce waste collection permits issued by the National Waste Collection Permit Office in Offaly County Council.

You can apply to the local authority for an exemption to use waste disposal bags in designated areas to dispose of household waste.

The National Waste Collection Permit Office in Offaly County Council maintains a public register of all waste facility permits and certificates granted, reviewed, revoked and expired across all local authorities.

You must apply to the local authority for a waste facility permit or a certificate of registration if you want to operate a waste facility.

Local authorities may arrange pre application consultations for those considering applying for a waste facility permit.

You must request permission from the local authority if you want to surrender your waste facility permit.

Local authorities regulate the operation of waste facilities.

Local authorities may investigate complaints about waste pollution.

Local authorities regulate the proper disposal of waste tyres.

You can send a request to the local authority for access to environmental information such as air, noise and water quality reports, and policies and plans on environmental protection measures.

Local authorities regulate air emissions from industrial plants such as bitumen plants and small thermal plants to ensure the emissions are safe and comply with regulations.

Industrial plants that release emissions into the atmosphere such as bitumen plants and small scale thermal plants must apply to the local authority for a licence.

Local authorities may investigate complaints about air pollution.

Businesses who carry out spray painting and vehicle refinishing must apply to the local authority for a decorative paints certificate.

Local authorities regulate the use of decorative paint materials used and sold by commercial businesses.

Local authorities maintain a public register of businesses which carry out spray painting and vehicle refinishing on their premises.

Local authorities may investigate complaints of offensive smells and take action.

Local authorities maintain a public register of industries which use solvents.

Businesses who use solvents in their work such as dry cleaning, printing, surface coating and pharmaceutical must apply to the local authority for an organic solvents vapour emissions certificate.

Local authorities regulate the use of solvents by businesses.

Owners or operators of petrol stations and fuel tankers must apply to the local authority petroleum vapour emissions certificate.

Local authorities regulate emissions from fuel tankers, storage tanks and fuel pumps in petrol stations.

Local authorities maintain a public register of owners and operators of petrol stations and fuel tankers.

Local authorities regulate the storage, distribution, sale and supply of low smoke coal and regulate the use of smoky coal and may designate areas as low smoke zones.

Local authorities may prepare plans to manage air quality. You can have an input into the plans through consultation.

Local authorities prepare plans to prevent and control litter. You can have an input into the plans through consultation.

Local authorities prepare plans to address environmental noise. You can have an input into the plans through consultation.

Local authorities prepare plans to prevent and control waste. You can have an input into the plans through consultation.

Local authorities prepare strategies for renewable energy. You can have an input into the strategies through consultation.

Local authorities may monitor and publish information on bathing water quality during the summer bathing season.

Caravan park and campsite operators must apply to the local authority for a licence.

Local authorities may enforce public health, fire, safety and environmental standards in caravan parks and campsites.

Local authorities regulate the discharge of liquids and sewage to rivers, lakes and the sea.

Businesses must apply to the local authority for a licence to discharge liquids or sewage to rivers, lakes or the sea.

Local authorities maintain a public register of businesses which have a licence to discharge liquids or sewage to rivers, lakes and the sea.

Local authorities regulate land spreading activities on farms to protect water quality.

Local authorities may assess nutrient management plans to ensure the spreading of organic sludges and fertilizers does not cause environmental damage.

Local authorities may monitor water quality in rivers and lakes to safeguard public health and protect the environment.

Local authorities may provide financial support to homeowners to upgrade or replace septic tanks or domestic waste water treatment systems.

Local authorities may provide information and advice about septic tanks and waste water treatment systems.

Local authorities regulate septic tanks and domestic waste water treatment systems to reduce the risk to human health and the environment.

Local authorities maintain a public register of farmers and land owners who spread sewage sludge on their lands.

Local authorities regulate the spreading of sewage sludge by farmers and land owners on their lands.

Local authorities may investigate complaints about water pollution.

You must apply to the local authority for a permit if you engage in leisure and sporting activities on public beaches.

Local authorities may provide lifeguards to beaches and outdoor swimming areas during the summer season.

Local authorities, together with other relevant agencies, may manage the lighting, buoying, raising, removal and selling of merchant shipwrecks so that they are not a safety threat to navigation, lifeboats or other vessels on coasts, harbours or beaches.

Local authorities may provide and maintain ringbuoys along riverbanks, and on bridges, piers and beaches to promote water safety.

Local authorities may provide information and advice about water safety.

Local authorities, together with Irish Water Safety, may run lifesaver training courses, beach lifeguard academies, and safe swimming and boating campaigns to promote water safety on public beaches, lakes and waterways.

Local authorities may remove bonfire materials from public areas for disposal.

Local authorities may provide clean up equipment and supplies such as litter pickers, gloves and bags to communities to clean up their local area.

Local authorities monitor dog fouling in public areas and may take action against owners.

Local authorities may remove graffiti from public buildings, bridges, playground equipment and street furniture. They may also remove offensive graffiti from private property.

Local authorities may remove discarded chewing gum from public streets and footpaths.

Local authorities may run litter awareness initiatives as part of their litter management activities.

Local authorities may provide litter bins in public areas.

Local authorities maintain and collect litter from their litter bins in public areas.

Local authorities may erect litter control signage in public places.

The local authority provide a litter fine appeal process.

You must pay a litter fine to the local authority.

Local authorities investigate illegal littering incidents and regulate illegal littering activity.

Local authorities may provide information and support about the National Spring Clean initiative to community and voluntary groups.

Local authorities may permit businesses to advertise on local authority litter bins.

You must apply to the local authority for a permit to use temporary signage to advertise events.

Local authorities may support Tidy Towns groups through networking meetings, seminars, funding and environmental initiatives.

Local authorities may provide bring centres where you can recycle small household items such as glass, plastic, food and beverage cans and textiles.

Local authorities may provide drop off points for natural Christmas trees at civic amenity or other sites.

Local authorities may provide civic amenity sites where the public can recycle and dispose of household waste.

Local authorities provide information to the public on how to recycle waste.

Local authorities regulate the disposal, recovery and recycling of consumer electrical goods, electrical appliances and batteries.

Retailers of electrical, electronic equipment and batteries must apply to the local authority for a WEEE certificate.

Local authorities may provide and maintain local authority owned burial grounds.

Local authorities maintain a public register of all burials in local authority burial grounds.

Local authorities may provide crematoria as an alternative to burials.

You must apply to the local authority for an exhumation licence to exhume the remains of a deceased person.

Local authorities may carry out tests on the depth of graves.

Local authorities may provide grave opening and closing services in local authority owned burial grounds.

Local authorities maintain a public register of grave owners in local authority burial grounds.

Local authorities may require gravediggers in local authority owned burial grounds to register with them.

Local authorities may maintain a register of approved gravediggers.

You can buy a grave space in a local authority burial ground at the time of a person's passing.

You can apply to a local authority to get a licence to erect a headstone.

Local authorities are helping the transition away from waste management towards a more a circular economy, providing awareness initiatives to all their communities.

Local authorities may provide grants to community groups for environmental awareness initiatives.

Local authorities may run environmental awareness initiatives as part of their environmental protection activities.

Local authorities work with schools to raise awareness of how to protect the environment.

Local authorities may run climate action initiatives as part of their commitment to climate action.

Carlow County Council will be a climate resilient and low carbon organisation that inspires, leads and facilitates ambitious and just climate action throughout the county.

Carlow County Council is organising its first ever Climate Action Week, from the 14th - 20th October 2024.
We hope that the week will initiate conversations and inspire climate action for those who get involved.

Local authorities prepare strategies to address climate change. You can have an input into the strategies through consultation.

Local authorities may provide financial support to community groups, schools and environmental non governmental organisations to carry out small environmental projects to promote sustainable development.

Local authorities may maintain drainage districts where drainage schemes were built to improve agricultural land.

Local authorities may provide information and advice to the public about invasive plant and animal species such as giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam, winter heliotrope, the grey squirrel, the Chinese mitten crab, the ruddy duck and the American mink.

You can report sightings of invasive plant and animal species to the local authority. These species include giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam, winter heliotrope, the grey squirrel, the Chinese mitten crab, the ruddy duck and the American mink.

Local authorities manage wetlands to protect these natural habitats.

Local authorities may remove or arrange the removal of dead animals from public areas.

Local authorities may provide support to deal with rat or mice infestations in public areas that are a threat to public health.

Local authorities may provide environmental reports and information to government departments and other agencies.

Local authorities collect environmental data and give it to relevant agencies.

Local authorities may monitor environmental noise levels and take action to prevent noise that is a nuisance, endangers human health, damages property or the environment.

Local authorities may investigate complaints about excessive noise.

The Environmental Protection Agency map areas where major noise occurs such as roads, railways, airports, industry and may take action to minimise the impact of this on the environment.

Local authorities may provide and maintain public toilets and cities, towns, harbours and coastal areas.

Local authorities may plant, prune and fell tree in public parks, open green spaces, along roadsides, on roundabouts and in authorised housing estates to protect and maintain them.