Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

457 Chapter 16: Environmental Policy Implementation and Performance POLICY AREA CURRENT ASSESSMENT OUTLOOK NOTES AIR Overall air assessment The overall current assessment for air is ‘moderate’ (the same as in 2020). Ireland is compliant with current air quality standards for many air pollutants. However, Ireland is not meeting the guidelines set by WHO for multiple pollutants, including PM 2.5 , and Ireland is non- compliant with the EU reduction target for ammonia and will remain so in the short term. Achieving the ambitions of the Clean Air Strategy and complying with the limit values of the proposed EU Air Quality Directive from 2030 onwards will be challenging, but will have a significant and positive impact on health. POLICY AREA CURRENT ASSESSMENT OUTLOOK NOTES NATURE Nature Protected habitats Ireland has protected almost 14% of its land area as Natura 2000 sites (SACs and SPAs). The latest Article 17 report (NPWS, 2019) found that 85% of Ireland’s protected habitats have inadequate or bad status, with only 15% having favourable conservation status. In terms of trends, 46% of habitats demonstrate ongoing declining trends, while only 2% are improving (NPWS, 2019). Of ten countries assessed by the Commission, Ireland scored lowest across planning, implementation, site management, monitoring and conservation outcomes at SPAs (EC, 2023a). Protected species The latest Article 17 report found that 57% of protected species have favourable status and 30% have inadequate or bad status. In terms of trends, 55% of species are stable, 17% are improving and 15% are declining (NPWS, 2019). Bird populations Populations of 54 (26%) of Ireland’s regularly occurring bird species are in severe decline while a further 79 (37%) are showing moderate declines (Gilbert et al. , 2021). In all, 63% of Ireland’s bird species are in serious trouble. Marine protected areas Ireland significantly increased the area covered by marine protected areas, from 2.3% to 9.2%, in 2022- 2023. However, the legislation to protect these areas is still not in place. Significant further progress will be needed to reach the target of 30% of Ireland’s maritime area protected by 2030, as well as to implement and enforce their protection. Overall nature assessment The overall current assessment for nature is ‘very poor’ (the same as in 2020). Deteriorating trends dominate, especially for protected habitats and bird populations, and Ireland is not on track to achieve policy objectives for nature. While the recent expansion of marine protected areas is welcome, additional far-reaching measures are needed to address the declines in nature and biodiversity.