Ireland's Environment

 The economy has been based on agriculture up to the 1960's with the population living largely in the rural areas. Since the 1960's policies to promote the establishment and expansion of modern industry have been incorporated. This has brought about a major enlargement of urban development that has changed patterns of agriculture and brought more intensive production.
Contributing to the quality of Ireland's environment is the high annual rainfall and prevailing southwest winds from the Atlantic. Air pollution is low and the watercourses are of a very high standard. The low population density over much of the country has helped to preserve the quality of the landscape.
The protection of the environment is a major objective of Government; a clean environment is recognized as a crucial economic factor. It is of particular importance to the development of tourism, agriculture and food production, mariculture, aquaculture, other natural resource-based industries, and in the marketing abroad of quality products and services. The Environmental Protection Agency promotes and implements standards for environmental protection and management. From 1994 it has been responsible for licensing those categories of development that have the greatest potential to cause pollution.