Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2025
125. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the locations of air monitoring stations in the Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare areas; the criteria for where these stations are located; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48185/25]
View answerThe national air quality monitoring network is operated, maintained and monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (AAMP) which is funded by my Department. The location of the stations is managed by the EPA in alignment with the criteria set out in EU law.
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.
The AAMP is supported by a new air quality modelling and forecasting facility developed under the LIFE EMERALD project. These new facilities provide data for air quality for all areas and three days into the future.
The EPA also produces an annual report on Air Quality which provides an overview of the quality of our air and key issues that impact upon it.
The monitoring stations collect air quality data for a range of pollutants to provide information to the public and allow assessment against European legal limit values and World Health Organisation guideline values.
The EPA are currently reviewing the network of stations in light of the revised EU Ambient Air Quality Directive and any potential changes to the network will be informed by that review.
