Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
102. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment; Climate and Communications 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]
View answerOverall 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.
