Vol. 561 No. 4
455 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to any project here to map ambient noise; if his Department is providing funding either directly or indirectly to these projects; if his Department will examine the projects which should be undertaken in view of the work being carried out in other EU member states in this area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4686/03]
Directive 2002/49/EC relates to the assessment and management of environmental noise and is due to be transposed into national law by 18 July 2004. By 30 June 2007 it requires, inter alia, the making of strategic noise maps for all agglomerations with more than 250,000 inhabitants, all major roads with more than six million vehicle passages a year, major railways with more than 60,000 train passages per year and major airports with more than 50,000 take-off or landing movements per year. A second phase of maps is required by 2012 for all agglomerations between 100,000 and 250,000 inhabitants, all major roads between 3 million and 6 million vehicle passages a year and major railways with between 30,000 and 60,000 train passages per year.
My Department is in discussions with the relevant local and transport sector authorities regarding meeting the mapping and other requirements of the directive within these timeframes. These authorities will take funding issues into account in future budgetary plans.
Dublin City Council has made considerable progress to date in noise mapping. It published noise mapping project Dublin city – interim report in September 2002. This linked land use, population density and traffic data for the area between the Royal and Grand Canals. The council has advised me that the next phase of the project, which involves mapping the area from the North and South Circular Roads to the city council boundary, is scheduled for publication by the end of the year.
