The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) inspected North Cork Co-op Creameries a total of 50 times last year because of "discharge to waters" a new report shows today (Wednesday, March 24).

Overall the EPA carried out 1,681 inspections in 2025 - an increase of 28% compared to 2024.

According to the agency, in general compliance among industrial and waste licensed sites "is good".

But the latest EPA report also shows that the food and drink sector and the waste sector continue to be repeat offenders when it comes to compliance.

In particular, North Cork Creameries topped the list of the sites inspected 10 times or more during 2025.

The EPA received 1,181 complaints from the public in 2025, most of which related to odour emissions.

The food and drink sector accounted for 51% of all complaints received by the agency last year and just five sites accounted for nearly two-thirds (59%) of all complaints received.

Non compliance

According to the EPA, sites in the waste sector had "the highest rates of non-compliance" with EPA licence conditions last year.

However the agency also pointed to the fact that the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) sector has presented "persistent challenges" due to odour control emissions.

Meanwhile the food and drink sector continued to receive the most complaints in 2025, chiefly with regard to "odour and noise".

The EPA highlighted in its Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Summary 2025 that emissions to water remain a compliance challenge across a limited number of sites.

"Corrective actions are being actively enforced at sites that pose a risk to water quality, with one site being directed by the EPA to cease their effluent discharge in November 2025 until necessary corrective actions were taken," the agency detailed.

EPA

Pamela McDonnell, programme manager in the EPA Office of Environmental Enforcement, said the agency has seen a "continued pattern of non-compliance in a small number of sites".

"The EPA will continue to maintain strong on-the-groundpresence across our licensed community to target those failing to comply," McDonnell said.

National Priority Sites 2025

Ten licensed sites - or 1% of the total- were identified as NationalPriority Sites (NPS) last year by the EPA - these are sites which are ranked in order of priority for enforcement.

Ten sites appeared on the NPS list during 2025, with only three remaining by the end of year.

According to the agency, this was achieved as a result of "increased EPA enforcement and a corresponding rise in investmentand commitment to compliance from licensees".

Since 2023, four Anaerobic Digestion sites have been addedto the NPS list due to issues because of "poor odour control andinadequate infrastructure to maintain compliance".

Separately the EPA also highlighted that it issued a "suspensionnotice" to cease discharges to water to a milk processing site last year.

The EPA's Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Summary 2025 also contained details of the industrial and waste court casesconcluded last year.

Out of these cases, four resulted in convictions at a district court and one resulted in a conviction at a circuit court.

Fines imposed by a court totaled €246,000 last year, while donations imposed by a court amounted to €152,500.

Separately costs awarded to the EPA during 2025 totalled €78,247.37.