Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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74. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the findings of the Environmental Protection Agency air quality report; the steps he is taking to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels and mitigate the risks associated with concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in towns and cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27939/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I am aware of the findings of this report.  As part of the ongoing work to reduce overall levels of nitrogen dioxide (NOx)  in certain areas, my Department has been working on a number of measures.

Firstly, implementation of the Climate Action Plan 2019 will help ameliorate transport-related NOx, and also Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compound (NMVOC), emissions. Key measures include:

- Putting 180,000 electric vehicles on our roads by 2025 and almost 1 million by 2030

- Steps to decarbonise the public transport fleet

- The development of a 5-year Cycling Strategy, and the roll-out of 200km of new cycle lanes through Bus Connects

- Encouraging a transition to public transport through a new Park and Ride Strategy to help reduce congestion and lower journey times

- Legislating for no new fossil fuel vehicles to be sold from 2030 onwards

In addition, officials from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of Transport are co-chairing a working group on Urban Transport-Related Air Pollution (UTRAP), comprising representatives of the two Departments as well as the Departments of Health, Finance, and Public Expenditure and Reform, the Dublin Local Authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and various bodies in the transport sector. This group will report later this year with recommendations to address pollution from traffic.

These measures will complement the work of my Department in developing a Clean Air Strategy, which will set out and give effect to clean air policies a manner consistent with national, EU and international policy considerations and priorities.

Finally, my Department funds, and is informed by, an on-going research programme into outdoor air pollution overseen by the EPA. Reports of recent EPA air quality research projects are available online at .