The huge plume of volcanic ash across northern Europe, while hazardous for aircraft, poses no significant danger to public health in Ireland, the Health Service Executive said today.
The HSE said the plume of volcanic ash from was not considered to be a significant risk to public health because it is currently at high altitude.
"It is not expected to come to ground in Ireland in the near future,” the executive said in a statement. “Even if the plume does drop towards the ground, the concentrations of particles at ground level are not likely to cause significant effects on health."
The HSE said rainfall over Ireland in the coming days could cause a small amount of the ash to be deposited over the country but quantities are expected to be "too small to pose a health risk to the public".
"The HSE, in consultation with Government agencies, will continue to monitor the situation closely."
