Written answers

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Air Quality

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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483. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which air quality has deteriorated arising from data collected at various locations throughout the country over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49399/17]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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486. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which the levels of air pollution continue to be monitored; if the results are in keeping with best practice and international requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49441/17]

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 483 and 486 together.

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 at www.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.

The Agency's most recent annual Air Quality Report was published in November 2017 and provides an assessment of air quality in Ireland for 2016.  Values for all network sites were below the EU annual limit value, but exceeded the stricter World Health Organisation guideline values for a number of pollutants at individual sites.   The report indicates that most pollutant concentrations are low, with no discernible trend or slight downward trends.  It cautions however that NO2 concentrations in urban areas are close to the EU annual limit value, and increases in traffic numbers or certain weather conditions may lead to exceedances. The report can be found at the following link: http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/air/quality/epaairqualityreport2016.html. 

Notwithstanding the favourable comparison with EU annual limit values, the report notes that maintaining our standard of air quality is a growing challenge.  With this in mind, I am committed to bringing forward Ireland's first ever National Clean Air Strategy.  The Strategy, which I hope to finalise in the coming weeks, will provide the policy framework necessary to identify and promote integrated measures across Government that are required to reduce air pollution and promote cleaner air, while delivering on wider national objectives.

A key part of the Strategy will be the expansion of our monitoring and data gathering capacity, to better inform policy  choices. Following a review by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of air quality monitoring and information provision in Ireland, a decision was taken to develop a new Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme which aims to enhance and build on current arrangements over the period 2017 to 2022.  I fully support this important initiative, and have committed funding of some €5 million over the lifetime of the programme, 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.

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