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Updated to 16 September 2025 (Act No. 10 of 2025 and S.I. No. 431 of 2025)

Protection of the Environment Act 2003
No. 27 of 2003

Contents

Commencement

Section Commencement/Effective Date
Where the commencement and effective dates differ, the effective date is shown below.
 Commencement Information
S. 1(1) 8 September 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 393 of 2003), art. 2
S. 1(2) 22 October 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) (No. 3) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 498 of 2003), art. 2
S. 1(3) 8 September 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 393 of 2003), art. 2
S. 1(4) 1 October 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 413 of 2003), art. 4
S. 2 8 September 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 393 of 2003), art. 2
S. 3 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
S. 4 8 September 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 393 of 2003), art. 2
Ss. 5-9 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
Ss. 10-14 22 October 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) (No. 3) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 498 of 2003), art. 2
Ss. 15, 16 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
S. 17 17 September 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 413 of 2003), art. 3
Ss. 18, 19 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
S. 20(1)(a) 22 October 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) (No. 3) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 498 of 2003), art. 2
S. 20(1)(b) 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
S. 20(1)(c) 8 September 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 393 of 2003), art. 2
S. 20(2), (3) 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
S. 21 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
Ss. 22-25 22 October 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) (No. 3) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 498 of 2003), art. 2
S. 26(1), (2)(a)-(c) 8 September 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 393 of 2003), art. 2
S. 26(2)(d) 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
S. 27 8 September 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 393 of 2003), art. 2
S. 28 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
S. 29 22 October 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) (No. 3) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 498 of 2003), art. 2
S. 30 8 September 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 393 of 2003), art. 2
S. 31 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
S. 32 8 September 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 393 of 2003), art. 2
S. 33 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
S. 34 22 October 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) (No. 3) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 498 of 2003), art. 2
Ss. 35-45 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
Ss. 46-50 22 October 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) (No. 3) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 498 of 2003), art. 2
S. 51 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
S. 52 8 September 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 393 of 2003), art. 2
Ss. 53-55 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
Ss. 56-58 1 October 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 413 of 2003), art. 4
S. 59 in so far as it relates to Litter Pollution Act 1997 (12/1997) 1 October 2003 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2003 (S.I. No. 413 of 2003), art. 4
S. 59 in so far as it relates to Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 (7/1992) and Waste Management Act 1996 (10/1996) 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2(f)
Ss. 60, 61 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2
Schs. 1-4 12 July 2004 Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 393 of 2004), art. 2

Amendments and other effects

How Affected Affecting Provision Affecting Provision Commencement/Effective Date
Where the commencement and effective dates differ, the effective date is shown below.
 Commencement Source
Certain references to "sanitary authority" construed as references to "Irish Water" 50/2013, ss. 1(3), 6, 7(4) 1 January 2014 Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 (Commencement) Order 2013 (S.I. No. 575 of 2013), art. 2(b)
Restricted S.I. No. 477 of 2011, regs. 1(3), 42(22), sch. 2 21 September 2011 S.I. No. 477 of 2011, regs. 1(3)
Trans. of functns. under. 42/2004, ss. 3 (1), 4, 58, 59 (1) (2) (3), sch. 3 1 January 2005 Health Act 2004 (Commencement) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 886 of 2004), art. 2
S. 5 references construed 1/2014, ss. 1(22), 9(2),(3) 1 June 2014 Local Government Reform Act 2014 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) (No. 3) Order 2014 (S.I. No. 214 of 2014), art. 2
S. 44 reference to Environment Fund construed 26/2022, ss. 1(2), 9(3) 1 July 2023 Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) (No. 2) Order 2023 (S.I. No. 344 of 2023), art. 4(b)

SIs made under the Act

SectionSIs made under the Act
None