Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
112. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of air quality monitoring stations on offshore islands that are being monitored by his Department; their locations and when they will come online; the new monitoring stations that will be installed until the end of 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28149/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe national Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme is operated, maintained and monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rather than my Department. However, my Department has provided funding for a significant upgrade to the network in recent years and, as a result, the number of monitoring stations has increased from 29 in 2017 to 102 today.
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 currently in operation, along with real-time and historic data from each station, can be found at the EPA-operated website, www.airquality.ie. This website shows there are currently no monitoring stations on offshore islands.
The final expansion of the network will be completed this year and will increase the number of official stations to 116. I have no function in determining the location of new monitoring stations. The EPA decide on the most appropriate locations based on best practice and EU requirements, and questions in relation to proposed sites may be addressed to them directly.
