Ambient air quality monitoring and assessment in Ireland is carried out in accordance with the requirements of Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, also known as the CAFE Directive. The CAFE Directive consolidated and replaced the earlier Air Quality Framework Directive and first three so-called "daughter" directives, and has been transposed into national legislation by the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2011. The Directive requires that the country is divided into zones for the purposes of the assessment and management of air quality and also sets limit values for the following pollutants:
Sulphur Dioxide (SO2),
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx),
Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5),
Lead,
Benzene,
Carbon Monoxide (CO), and
Ground-Level Ozone.
In addition, Directive 2004/107/EC, the fourth ‘daughter' directive under the Air Quality Framework Directive, which was not consolidated within the CAFE Directive, remains in effect. This Directive has been transposed into national legislation by the Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, Nickel and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ambient Air Regulations 2009, which specify further monitoring requirements as well as limit or target values for arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic hydrocarbons.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has responsibility for the monitoring of Irish air quality. The EPA continually monitors a range of atmospheric pollutants via a network of air quality monitoring stations located around the country, and reports the results of the air quality monitoring on its website: http://www.epa.ie/what we do/monitoring/air/data/. My Department keeps these data under ongoing review to identify any significant trends which might emerge and also meets periodically with the EPA on air quality issues.
The EPA also publishes a comprehensive annual report on air quality, the most recent of which, Air Quality in Ireland 2010 — Key Indicators of Ambient Air Quality, was published in September 2010. The report provides an overview of ambient air quality trends in Ireland in 2010 based on data from a network of 28 monitoring stations. In addition, there were a further 11 monitoring stations measuring black smoke operated by local authorities during 2010. The Report confirmed that air quality in Ireland continues to be and remains among the best in Europe. In 2010, measured values for all of the above-mentioned pollutants were below the limit and target values set out in the CAFE Directive and the Fourth Daughter Directive.
The Report further noted that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels and particulates of nitrogen dioxide have remained relatively static since 2002. While NO2 levels are low in rural areas, they remain elevated at certain locations in Dublin and Cork, albeit below the 2010 limit value. As road traffic is the primary source of NO2, elevated levels of NO2 are most notable at road traffic influenced sites. Technological advances set down by EU emission standards may in future lead to lower NO2 emissions from individual cars but this technology will take time to impact on current levels. NO2 levels can also be reduced through reducing travel demand by car, emphasising the importance of more sustainable modes of transport such as cycling, walking and public transport.
Domestic solid fuel use is the other main source of particulate matter and specifically impacts air quality in areas where the sale of bituminous coal is permitted. As a result, levels of particulate matter in smaller towns are similar or higher than those in cities, where sale of bituminous (or "smoky") coal is banned. As such, the choice households make in domestic heating fuel can have a major impact on local air quality. My Department meets regularly with the EPA and key local authorities to ensure the ongoing roll-out and effective enforcement of the smoky coal ban.
