The government has appointed Dr Eimear Cotter as director general of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Dr Cotter has been a director in the EPA since 2017 and has served as deputy director general since May 2025.

As a director, she led the Office of Evidence and Assessment with responsibility for climate including carbon emissions trading, water management, environmental research and data analytics.

She previously was director of the Office of Environmental Sustainability which included responsibility for environmental licensing.

Dr Cotter will take up her new post on March 8 for a seven-year term.

EPA

Dr Cotter, who is originally from Co. Carlow, holds a degree in chemistry from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD in atmospheric chemistry from Oxford University.

She also has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

She is a board member on the governing board of the Institute of Art, Design and Technology.

Commenting on the appointment, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien said:

"She will bring a broad range of experience to the executive board of the agency.

"I am confident that Dr Cotter will make a valuable contribution to the work of the agency and in addressing the many challenges ahead."

The EPA is an independent public body under the aegis of the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, established under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992.

The agency is managed by a full time executive board appointed by government, consisting of a director general and five directors.