Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the extent to which air pollution in being monitored throughout County Kildare; the most serious pollutants recorded arising from such monitoring; the action proposed or expected arising therefrom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25327/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 163: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of locations at which air pollution monitoring takes place on a local authority basis; the degree to which trends have been established with particular reference to the most serious pollutants recorded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25328/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 163 together.

Monitoring at permanent and mobile monitoring stations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local authorities confirms that air quality in Ireland is good. Air quality assessment is the responsibility of the EPA and air quality management a matter for local authorities informed by air quality measurement data.

Air quality standards in Ireland are prescribed in an EU context and the principles agreed under the EU Air Quality Framework Directive in relation to monitoring, assessment and management of ambient air quality. This became Irish law through the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 (Ambient Air Quality Assessment and Management) Regulations 1999. Under further regulations made in 2002, 2004 and 2009 specific ambient air quality standards have been prescribed for Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter and lead (2002); Carbon monoxide and benzene (2002); Ozone (2004); and Polyaromatic hydrocarbons, arsenic, nickel, cadmium and mercury in ambient air (2009)

Where the indicative level for any pollutant is exceeded, the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2002 require the local authority concerned, following notification by the EPA, to develop a long-term air quality management plan to ensure compliance with the thresholds for the relevant pollutant or pollutants.

The EPA reports the results of the air quality monitoring of the above pollutants through its website on a real time basis in the case of a number of monitoring stations and on a monthly basis in the case of ozone, particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. The EPA also publishes a comprehensive annual report on air quality, the most recent being the report on Air Quality in Ireland 2007 which was published in September 2008. It contains details of the monitoring and assessment of national air quality, and incorporates data from all air quality monitoring stations.

The report confirmed that air quality in Ireland is good and complied with the air quality standards in force for all pollutants including particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, black smoke, lead, ozone, carbon monoxide and benzene. The EPA reports are available to the public at: http://www.epa.ie/whatwedo/monitoring/air/data/. My Department keeps this data under ongoing review to identify any significant trends which might emerge and also meets regularly with the EPA on air quality issues.

With regards to the monitoring of air pollution in County Kildare, the EPA carried out an air quality assessment in Naas in 2003 / 2004, the results of which are available on the EPA website.

The role of local authorities in air quality monitoring has evolved in recent years from a time when they were responsible for black smoke and sulphur dioxide monitoring in compliance with earlier air quality standards. Monitoring requirements changed as the number of pollutants in respect of which national standards were prescribed increased and the monitoring equipment became more sophisticated and automatic which allowed monitoring networks to be more targeted and efficient.

Where local authorities choose to operate monitors they are facilitated by the EPA to become part of the national monitoring network. Local authorities were encouraged to continue with black smoke monitoring to maintain the valuable historical dataset. The EPA stores this data and reports it in the annual report. Nine local authorities continue to report black smoke in this way. Some local authorities also monitor sulphur dioxide for local reasons using the manual method.

As part of the Programme for Government commitment on monitoring air quality, my Department requested the EPA to undertake an overall review of the adequacy of the air quality monitoring network in light of population change in urban areas. The EPA is expected to deliver this report shortly.