Written answers

Tuesday, 10 October 2017

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Air Quality

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

509. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has commissioned continuous surveys of air pollution levels in Dublin and other cities to monitor the health effects of diesel fuel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42666/17]

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Ambient air quality monitoring in Ireland is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the 2008 Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) Directive (Directive 2008/50/EC) and the Fourth Daughter Directive (Directive 2004/107/EC of 15 December 2004). These Directives also include rules on how Member States should monitor, assess and manage ambient air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tasked with co-ordinating and managing the monitoring programme.

Under the Directives, EU Member States must designate "Zones" for the purpose of managing air quality.  For Ireland, four zones were defined in the Air Quality Standards Regulations, 2011. The zones in place in Ireland in 2017 are Zone A: the Dublin conurbation, Zone B: the Cork conurbation, Zone C: comprising 23 large towns in Ireland with a population of more than 15,000, and Zone D: the remaining area of Ireland.

Ireland currently has a nationwide network of 30 monitoring stations which measure levels of air pollutants in the four zones. This information is delivered to the public in near real-time atwww.airquality.epa.ie. The numbers and locations of the monitoring equipment for each pollutant are determined by the requirements of the Directives for ambient air monitoring in each zone. Currently Dublin has 14 monitoring stations.

The Agency's most recent annual air quality report was published in November 2016 and provides an assessment of air quality in Ireland for 2015.While the EPA does not disaggregate diesel emissions from other pollutant sources, emissions of NO2, a significant pollutant arising from diesel use, were monitored at 15 locations across Ireland for the 2015 report.  Values for all these sites were below the EU annual limit value. The report cautions however that NO2values may increase in line with growth in economic activity in the State.

Following a comprehensive review of the current status of ambient air quality monitoring in Ireland, the EPA has developed a new national Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (AAMP) under Section 65 of the EPA Act. My Department will provide the required funding to the Agency for this development, which will significantly strengthen the capacity and capability of the monitoring network to provide more comprehensive, localised air quality information linked to public health advice.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.