9.5.7 Air Quality

EU Directives set out air quality standards in Ireland and other member states for a wide variety of pollutants. The EU Commission set out the principles to this approach in 1996 with its Air Quality Framework Directive. While some major sources of air pollution have been largely eliminated, others such as emissions from transport sector have emerged.

The Clean Air Package announced by the European Commission in 2014 will involve a fundamental shift in tackling air emissions at source, with the possibility of introducing even tighter air quality standards from 2020 onwards.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index for Health describes air quality in the Dublin region as ‘Good’.

Local authorities, through the planning system, can help minimise the adverse effects of air pollution associated with the construction phase of major infrastructural projects and large-scale developments.

While individual projects may have a limited lifespan, the cumulative effect on air quality in some areas of the city has been pronounced and requires increased controls.

These controls can most appropriately be dealt with by placing planning conditions on permissions for new development.