Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for protecting and improving the environment as a valuable asset for the people of Ireland. It operates independently under the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. History The EPA was founded in 1993, following the enactment of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992. In 2014, it merged with the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, which was itself founded in 1992. The present-day EPA continues the activities of both groups. Organisation The EPA operates independently under the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. It is led by an advisory committee headed by a director general. The current director general, Laura Burke, was appointed in 2011.