Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 April 2024
133. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if air quality standards apply to emissions from household burning outside of the bans on certain products that are in place; and the procedures for monitoring air quality that may be associated with such uses. [17887/24]
View answerClean air is essential for our quality of life. While recent decades have seen significant improvements in air quality in Ireland, air pollution continues to cause damage to both our health and environment. The European Environment Agency report Air Quality in Europe 2020 indicates that in 2018 there were 1,410 premature mortalities arising from air pollution in Ireland. The vast majority of these, 1,300, are attributable to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which in Ireland is primarily associated with domestic solid fuel burning.
While air quality standards for our national emissions and ambient air quality are set out in national and EU legislation, these standards or limits do not apply to specific household premises.
There is legislation in place under the Air Pollution Act, 1987 which states that “the occupier of any premises shall not cause or permit an emission from such premises in such a quantity, or in such a manner, as to be a nuisance”. The relevant enforcement agencies are the Local Authorities and it is at the discretion of the relevant Local Authority to determine the most appropriate procedures to deal with these matters.
