New environmental licensing bill promises certainty – but does it deliver?
The Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 (the “Bill”) completed Final Stages in the Dáil on 14 January 2026. Minister O’Brien, when securing cabinet approval to publish the Bill, pitched it as a game-changer for investment, stating:
“Introducing definite and shorter timeframes for licence decisions will provide more certainty for investment. This, in turn, will boost sustainable development, facilitate economic activity and improve our competitiveness.”
The timeline problem
Approximately 900 Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) licences currently regulate Ireland’s largest industrial installations. Obtaining an EPA licence, or renewing one, often entails considerable delays.
