Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 September 2023
128. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total number of air quality monitoring locations throughout the country and their exact location; the extent to which air quality has deteriorated in each location over the past ten years, and the consequent risk to public health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40937/23]
View answerThe national air quality monitoring stations are operated, maintained, and monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme. My Department has provided funding for a significant upgrade to the network in recent years, and as a consequence the number of monitoring stations has increased from 29 in 2017 to 114 today. The expansion will be complete when the remaining stations are connected in 2023 which will bring the final number of stations to 116.
All stations collect air quality data for a range of pollutants to provide information to the public, and for assessment against European legal limit values and World Health Organisation guideline values. 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.
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 website, www.airquality.ie .
