Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 February 2022
203. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which air quality monitoring stations continue to show improvement in air quality or otherwise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10783/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra204. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number and locations of air quality monitoring stations throughout the country; the degree to which air quality has fluctuated at each station in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10784/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 203 and 204 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.
As many monitoring stations have only been in place for a short while, an analysis of longer terms trends, improvements and fluctuations across the network is not yet available. However, the EPA produce an annual report on Air Quality in Ireland which provides an overview of our air quality and key issues that impact upon it.
The LIFE EMERALD project, which commenced in 2021, will use the information from our monitoring network to provide a national 3-day air quality forecast and near real-time mapping of air pollutants throughout the country; and to create historical maps of air pollutants. The project will improve Ireland’s ambient air quality management capabilities, by using an air quality modelling system to gain a better understanding of the factors contributing to poor air quality and develop a system that will provide better information to the public.
