Ivana Bacik
Question:141. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the Government’s clean air strategy. [21908/24]
View answerTuesday, 14 May 2024
Questions (141)
Written answers
The first national Clean Air Strategy was published in April 2023. This provides an overarching policy framework within which clean air policies can be formulated and given effect in a manner consistent with national, EU and international policy considerations and priorities.
• It complements the National Air Pollution Control Programme, which sets out a pathway based on a comprehensive cross-Government programme of policies and measures that will tackle all sources of air pollution, including those from the transport, agriculture and residential sectors.
• The Strategy incorporates, as appropriate, broader policy developments that impact on plans to improve the quality of our air.
• In addition, a number of other national frameworks are in development or already in place, across a number of Departments, which are also key in helping to reduce pollutant emissions and improving air quality. The strategy sets out how synergies between these plans can be maximised.
• In terms of the 2021 WHO air quality guidelines, the strategy commits us to achieving the interim IT3 target by 2026, the IT4 target by 2030, and the achievement of final IT4 values by 2040.
• This will be a major challenge, but the new governance structure and legislative approach described in the strategy will ensure that responsibility for the policies, measures and actions required across Government to meet these targets is assigned to the relevant stakeholders and that they are implemented in a timely manner.
The implementation of the strategy is underway and a report on progress will be presented to Government in the coming months.