Legal and health experts are pushing for a toughening of Ireland’s approach to air pollution as new air quality standards loom.
Their call comes as the Government prepares to update its clean air strategy which commits to reducing pollution to World Health Organisation (WHO) standards but has yet to achieve the required results.
A public consultation on the strategy is open until February 20th and members of the Climate and Health Alliance will raise the issue with politicians in Leinster House next week.
Barrister Laura Hogan said there were gaps in the air quality monitoring regime, with too few monitoring stations, lack of clear public information and little evidence that local authorities were enforcing the law on polluters.
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She said the system used to rate real-time air quality at monitoring stations was unclear.
“It can appear that air quality is of more favourable status when in reality it is far in excess of what the WHO says is safe,” she said.
Rankings from one to three denote “good” status but anything below one can include a breach of WHO standards.
“Categories four, five and six are ‘fair’ but if we look at the description of this, fair means adults and children with lung problems and heart problems should consider reducing strenuous activity, especially outdoors,” Hogan said.
“The difficulty with this is obvious. If air quality is described as fair, it’s going to be quite a misleading term to the public.”
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Ireland has 115 monitors and results comply with existing European Union standards but those standards are rising to match the tougher WHO standards this year.
They will rise further in 2030 and again in 2040 and should reduce the 1,700 premature deaths from air pollution occurring in Ireland annually.
The Department of the Environment says restrictions on the sale of smoky fuels have improved air quality but acknowledges some areas will struggle to meet the higher standards.
An Air Pollution Bill awaiting Dáil debate would strengthen local authorities’ powers to enforce standards, increase penalties and introduce on-the-spot fines.
Some towns with persistent air quality problems, including Tralee, Enniscorthy, Edenderry, Birr, Longford, Ennis, Letterkenny and Wexford all had breaches of WHO standards for PM2.5 over the past week.
PM2.5 is particulate matter – tiny fragments of solids and liquids from burning solid fuels which travel deep into the lungs when inhaled.
“These particles are so small that they can be absorbed from our lungs into our bloodstream and travel all around our bodies causing damage to almost every organ,” said Mark Murphy, senior policy manager with the Irish Heart Foundation.
“There is a lack of public and political awareness of air pollution in Ireland and the importance of meeting clean air standards.
“We have a huge cultural attachment to fireplaces and burning turf and coal, and even wood stoves.
“We need a timeline for the phase-out of remaining solid fuels, as long as we can support those in energy poverty and provide better support for retrofitting.”
Hogan and Murphy spoke at an event hosted by the environmental justice centre at legal charity Community Law and Mediation.
The event heard €663 million was available to Ireland from the EU’s social climate fund which could help solid-fuel-dependent households switch to cleaner heating systems.
Ireland is behind in submitting a social climate plan to the EU as part of its application for the funds.
Minister for the Environment Darragh O’Brien said last week Ireland had been granted an extended deadline to the end of March to apply.
He said the final draft of the plan would be submitted to Government for approval in the coming weeks.
