Vol. 564 No. 1
325 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the extent to which air pollution monitoring is carried out by bodies or agencies under his control; if the accuracy of recording in all cases is accurate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9028/03]
I refer to the replies to Question No. 432 of 4 February 2003, Nos. 288 and 382 of 10 October 2002 and No. 131 of 22 February 2001. The air quality monitoring annual report 2001, published by the Environmental Pro tection Agency on 6 March 2003, contains details of the monitoring and assessment of national air quality and a copy is available in the Oireachtas Library. The Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 (Ambient Air Quality Assessment and Management) Regulations 1999 designate the agency as the competent body for assessing ambient air quality in Ireland including responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of measuring devices, in particular by internal quality controls carried out in accordance with the requirements of European quality assurance standards and the analysis of assessment methods and co-ordination within Ireland of community-wide quality assurance programmes organised by the European Commission. In this context I understand that the agency participates in an expert group on quality assurance under the aegis of the Joint Research Centre, the Commission's scientific body. My Department has no role in assessing the accuracy of recordings by individual air quality monitors.
Question No. 326 answered with Question No. 283.
