Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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280. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide exact details arising from the most recent Environmental Protection Agency emissions inventories and projections covering County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10716/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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National emission inventories on four key air pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NO_x), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ammonia (NH₃), are compiled by the Environme ntal Protection Agency (EPA). These are reported annually to the European Commission under the National Emissions Ceiling (NEC) Directive 200/81/EC and to the UNECE under the Gothenburg Protocol to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. The Directive and Protocol set emission ceilings that were required to be met by 2010 and must not be exceeded in any following year. The emission inventories concern emissions at national level and are not specific to individual counties.

The most recent national emission figures, covering 2012, were published by the EPA on 6 February 2014 and can be viewed on the EPA website at ( ). These figures showed that Ireland is compliant with its emission ceilings for SO₂, VOCs and NH₃. However, despite significant reductions since 2005, Ireland’s NO_x emissions remain higher than the national ceiling. NO_x emissions increased between 2011 and 2012, primarily due to an increase in emissions from coal-fired electricity generation – which reflects low coal and carbon prices - and an increase in cement production.

The road transport sector continues to be the main source of NO_x, responsible for over 47% of total national emissions in 2012. The contribution from road transport has been exacerbated by the underperformance of engine abatement technology (Euro standards). National estimates have shown that, if these technologies had performed to the expected standard, this would have resulted in a further 9kt reduction in NO_x emissions, which would have brought Ireland into compliance with its emission ceiling.