The food and drink sector continues to feature prominently as an area of focus for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the sector receiving the largest number of complaints in 2025, according to the EPA’s Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Summary 2025.

These complaints were mostly in relation to odour and noise, the EPA said. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported it carried out some 1,681 inspections across all sectors of the economy in 2025, a 28% increase on 2024.

The most common compliance issues at licensed sites included odour emissions and discharges to water.

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Additionally, the anaerobic digestion (AD) sector has seen persistent challenges due to inadequate odour-control measures and insufficient infrastructure, resulting in ongoing non-compliance with environmental requirements, it said.

Much of the focus in the food and drink sector was on emissions to water, the EPA said.

The EPA also reported that it “deployed significant resources to inspect EPA licensed sites within the Blackwater catchment in response to a significant fish kill that occurred in August 2025.”

Dairy processors

During 2025, the EPA issued a suspension notice to a milk processing site, North Cork Creameries to cease stop water discharges. North Cork Creameries was revisited 50 times by the EPA during 2025 in relation to discharge to waters.

Two other dairy co-ops were among the sites with the highest number of inspections for discharge to water in 2025; Aurivo Dairy Ingredients Limited with 15 visits, Aurivo Consumer Foods Ltd with 10, Arrabawn Tipperary Co-Op in Nenagh with 14 and Arrabawn Tipperary Co-Op in Tipperary with 13.

Arrow Group Limited was identified as a priority site for the EPA in 2025 due to odour and noise control

Kepak Athleague has a total of 11 inspections in 2025 in connection to discharge to waters.

In relation to odours, Arrow Group was inspected 18 times by the EPA in 2025, ABP Waterford was visited 17 times.

Arrow Group Limited was identified as a priority site for the EPA in 2025 due to odour and noise control.

North Cork Creameries and Tipperary Co-op Creamery Limited were also identified as priority sites in 2025 in relation to emissions to water.

Future Pigs Limited and Timoleague Agri Gen Limited were named as priority sites due to infrastructure and management issues in anaerobic digestion.

Intervention

The EPA has said: “following significant enforcement intervention by the EPA, Aurivo Dairy Ingredients invested over €3 million in odour control and related infrastructure, with works completed in 2025.

The upgrades focused on the wastewater treatment plant, including tank enclosures and treatment of odorous air emissions.”

Commenting on the report Pamela McDonnell, programme manager in the EPA office of environmental enforcement said: “While the overall level of compliance continues to be good, the EPA has seen a continued pattern of non-compliance in a small number of sites.

“The consequences of non-compliance can be significant for the environment and those living locally. The EPA will continue to maintain strong on-the-ground presence across our licensed community to target those failing to comply.”