Co-ops and factories paid €121,315 collectively in environment fines last year after conviction by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

Rosderra Irish Meats Group in Offaly paid the highest fine of €26,168, followed by Dawn Farm Foods, operating as the Arrow Group in Co Kildare, which paid €24,000 and Carbery Food Ingredients in Cork with €23,373.

Tipperary Co-op, Arrabawn Co-op and Kepak in Cork were also convicted and ordered to pay fines by the EPA.

The EPA carried out 1,490 site inspections last year, and 95% of the inspections were unannounced. Almost half of all companies convicted by the EPA were food businesses.

Factories and dairy processors also featured prominently on the top 10 most complained about sites.

Dawn Farm Foods, operating as the Arrow Group, topped the list with 145 complaints received last year due to the noise and odour from its site.

Glanbia Foods Limited had the next highest number of complaints with 66 – due to noise. This was followed by Rosderra Meats, with 63 complaints over noise, odour, effluent and water.

The EPA received 31 complaints over concerns regarding the water in LacPatrick Dairies Ltd and Irish Country Meats in Navan received 26 complaints.

Food and drink

Overall, the EPA registered 400 non-compliances last year in the food and drink sector, while the intensive agriculture sector registered 152 non-compliances. Some 33% of non-compliances related to exceeding emission limits.

Dawn Farm Foods and Kepak Clonee face “further enforcement” from the EPA this year.

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