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Chapter 3
Air Quality & Transboundary
Air Emissions
Air quality in Ireland is of a high standard across the country and
is among the best in Europe, meeting all EU air quality standards in
2010. This is due largely to prevailing clean Atlantic air and a lack
of large cities and heavy industry. However, in Dublin and Cork levels
of nitrogen dioxide are close to the specified EU limit values for air
quality in traffic-impacted areas. Traffic emissions also contribute
to high levels of particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons. Levels of particulate matter in large towns without
a smoky coal ban are higher than in towns where such a ban is
in place. Ireland also faces future challenges to meet new air
quality standards for PM
2.5
concentrations by 2020.
With regard to air emissions, Ireland has complied with the 2010
EU emission ceilings for sulphur dioxide, volatile organic compounds
and ammonia. Ireland did not meet the prescribed 2010 ceiling for
nitrogen oxides emissions due to sustained emissions from road
transport.
For Ireland to comply with its international commitments on air
quality and air emissions, industrial emissions of pollutants to air must
continue to be rigorously controlled; policies must be implemented
to increase the use of alternatives to the private car and improve
efficiencies of motorised transport. Government departments,
national agencies and local authorities must make air quality an
integral part of their traffic management and planning processes.
Households and businesses must use more efficient methods to burn
fuel and shift from solid fuel to cleaner alternatives including gas.