Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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101. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will put in place plans to develop a real-time monitoring system for air quality with live alerts to minimise exacerbations and sudden ill-health of those with underlying conditions through education and awareness of current levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40775/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme, operated by the Environmental Protection Agency, has undergone significant investment and expansion in recent years, with the number of monitoring stations increasing from 30 in 2017 to 95 today.

All monitoring stations collect air quality data for a range of pollutants in order to provide information to the public, and for assessment against European legal limit values and World Health Organisation guideline values. Real-time data from these monitoring stations is available online at all times at www.airquality.ie, and the air quality readings are illustrated according to the Air Quality Index for Health (AQIH).

While Ireland has traditionally focused on measurements from monitoring stations to assess air quality, there is a need to provide more local air quality information throughout the country. The intention is that the information generated through monitoring, will be augmented by a newly developed modelling and forecasting capability, which will provide an ongoing air quality forecast service to the public.

This work is being developed as part of a new EU LIFE funded project called LIFE EMERALD, which commenced in January 2021. By 2024, this modelling project will deliver a national air quality forecast, a near real-time nowcast, and historical modelled maps along with multiple awareness raising and citizen engagement elements.

In the interim, a further expansion of the network is scheduled during 2021 and 2022 to include another 15 stations, giving a 110 station network, and serving to increase the evidential base required to inform the policy measures necessary to improve the quality of our air.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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102. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will immediately lower legal levels of air pollution to bring them in line with those recommended by the WHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40776/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Overall air quality in Ireland is good, with significant reductions in the levels of most pollutants recorded over the past three decades. Building on the progress that has been made to date, our ambition is to ensure that even greater improvements are realised in the years to come.

The national Clean Air Strategy, currently being finalised by my Department, will commit us to further cutting levels of the most damaging and dangerous pollutants in order to meet the current guideline limits recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The Strategy will also identify and promote the integrated measures and actions across Government that are required to reduce air pollution and promote cleaner air, while delivering on wider national objectives.

Where exceedance of the WHO air quality guideline value levels have been observed, these have been primarily due to the burning of solid fuel in our cities, towns and villages. Each year, some 1,300 people die prematurely in Ireland due to air pollution from solid fuel burning. It is estimated that there are over 16,200 life years lost, while many people also experience a poor quality of life due to the associated short, and long-term health impacts of this form of pollution. I remain committed to addressing this critical public health and environmental challenge through a nationwide ban on smoky coal and enhanced regulation of other solid fuels.

The recent public consultation, which sought views on how we regulate all solid fuels that contribute to air pollution, was the first step in this process. My Department received more than 3,500 responses to the technical consultation, survey and questionnaire. A summary of the consultation along with the technical submissions are available on the Public Consultation webpage of Gov.ie.

Regulations, informed by the consultation process, are currently being drafted, and it is my intention to publish a new, legally robust, and evidence-based framework for how we regulate all solid fuels in the near future.