Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to review and simplify the complaints procedure, legislation and regulation in the area of noise pollution from vehicle and building alarms. [16507/05]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There are various general legislative provisions applicable to noise nuisance, as well as a number of practical arrangements to reduce the instances of unnecessary noise from alarms and to tackle persistent incidence of such noise.

Section 107 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 provides local authorities with powers to require measures to be taken to prevent or limit noise. In the case of a faulty alarm, a local authority may serve a notice under this section. I am aware, for example, that intruder alarms gave rise to 7%, or 40 complaints, of the noise complaints made to Dublin City Council in 2003. Where the council receives a complaint, an advisory letter is issued to the owner-occupier advising of the terms of the current standards for intruder alarms systems.

A European standard for external intruder alarms has now replaced all national standards, and incorporates considerably stricter controls, regarding minimum and maximum duration for the sounding of alarms. The new limits are 90 seconds minimum and 15 minutes maximum duration from the sounding of external alarms in buildings. The alarms must cease automatically after the maximum duration. This standard has been applied by the NSAI for intruder alarms installed by certified installers since 1 March 2004. In addition, a new European standard is being developed for alarm monitoring centres, including a code of practice detailing the circumstances when the Garda Síochána should be alerted. When adopted, this should ensure that the reporting of alarms to the Garda Síochána is carried out in a consistent manner.

The Private Securities Services Act 2004 provides for a private security authority to license, control and supervise installers of security equipment, including alarm systems, and has powers to maintain and improve standards in the provision of security services.

The current and developing European standards, improved equipment and the co-operation of the installers certified by the NSAI, should together ensure that the incidence of false alarms and the failure of audible alarms to cut off will be significantly reduced.

The standard for car alarms is operated by car manufacturers and alarm installers, and covers both installation during manufacture and the retrospective fitting of alarms. The object of this standard, IEC 60839, is to ensure, among other things, a reduction in the number of false alarms.

Under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 (Noise) Regulations 1994, a local authority or any person may seek an order in the District Court to have noise giving reasonable cause for annoyance abated. The procedures involved have been simplified to allow action to be taken without legal representation. A public information leaflet outlining the legal avenues available to persons experiencing noise nuisance is available from my Department or on www.environ.ie.

I have no plans to review existing legislation on noise from house or car alarm systems.