Thomas Gould
Question:149. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to serious issues with air quality in the Glanmire area of Cork. [1942/22]
View answerWednesday, 19 January 2022
Questions (149)
Written answers
While there is currently no official Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) station in the Glanmire area, I note that a citizen science monitoring project has reported some high levels of air pollution in this area.
Official data from the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (AAMP), operated by the EPA, has shown periodic elevated levels of emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at a number of locations across the country during early January. Particulate matter emissions are most closely associated with the domestic burning of solid fuels but can also be the result of burning of waste and other materials. While these spikes are likely linked to increased burning of fuels because of cold weather, the EPA advises that such occasional “spikes” can also be attributed to other periodic weather conditions such as still air and fog. They are not necessarily indicative of an ongoing problem.Nonetheless, the elevated levels of PM2.5 illustrate again that further action is needed to tackle this harmful pollutant. To this end, I am progressing the measures I announced in September 2021 to further regulate the sale, marketing, distribution and use of solid fuels for domestic heating in Ireland. New emissions standards will be introduced across a range of fuels to ensure that the most polluting will no longer be available for sale on the Irish market. Introducing these standards will improve the quality of the air that we breathe, and the health of the public that we serve.
Question No. 150 answered with Question No. 123.
Question No. 151 answered with Question No. 123.