Addressing air quality will positively impact Dubliner’s health
Responding to a survey carried out on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities which found widespread non-compliance with emissions limits on coal being sold by retailers across Dublin, Labour Spokesperson on Climate, Environment and Energy Ciarán Ahern has called on Government to increase its air quality monitoring efforts.
Deputy Ahern called for urgent improvements to inspections and enforcement of pollutant content regulations.
Deputy Ahern said:
“It’s extremely alarming that coal is being sold across Dublin that doesn’t meet current regulatory requirements. It’s even more worrying given that the packaging falsely indicates that it does meet the requirements.
“This raises very serious questions about the level of inspection that is being carried out on solid fuels sold in Dublin and across the country and whether the current regulations are being implemented and working as intended.
“If this is happening with coal, it’s highly likely that it’s happening with other solid fuels as well.
“Air pollution is a massive environmental and health risk in Ireland. The most recent air quality report from the EPA indicates that there are 1,600 premature deaths in Ireland annually due to poor air quality.
“This is a direct public health issue that Government hasn’t given the necessary urgency to addressing.
“The Clean Air Strategy in 2023 made a lot of promises, but the only progress report we’ve seen so far indicated little by way of measurable improvements to our air quality.
“Labour have called for an increase in the number of EPA air quality monitoring stations in all urban areas, particularly near schools and heavily trafficked residential areas, to provide more comprehensive data and to identify problem areas quicker. We need to see action on that now.
“Ultimately, the solution to this issue is moving away from polluting fossil fuels towards clean and renewable energy sources.
“This isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s a public health issue. We can’t keep allowing preventable deaths to occur because of poor air quality.
“Government must treat this matter with the urgency it requires. That means committing the necessary resources to ensure that current regulations and legal limits on fossil fuel emissions are being properly enforced and that the necessary inspections are carried out. It matters for our environment and it matters for our health.”