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Air Quality

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022

Tuesday, 1 February 2022

Questions (207, 208, 209)

Thomas Gould

Question:

207. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of Environmental Protection Agency official air quality monitoring systems; and the location of each. [4249/22]

View answer

Thomas Gould

Question:

208. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way that areas are chosen for Environmental Protection Agency official air quality monitoring systems. [4250/22]

View answer

Thomas Gould

Question:

209. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the proposed locations of new Environmental Protection Agency air quality monitoring systems. [4251/22]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions No. 207, 208, and 209  together.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for monitoring ambient air quality in Ireland via the national Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme 2017-2022 (AAMP). Under this programme the national monitoring network has undergone a significant upgrade in recent years and has been expanded from 29 stations in 2017 to 97 today. The final expansion of the network will be completed this year and will increase the number of official stations to 110.

All 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. Details of the locations of all monitoring stations, along with real-time and historic data from each station, can be found at www.airquality.ie  

I have no function in determining the location of monitoring stations. The AAMP is operated by the EPA who determine the most appropriate locations based on best practice and EU requirements. Accordingly, new monitoring station locations are selected by the EPA and questions in relation to proposed sites may be addressed to them directly.

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