Over 1,000 Irish people die each year because air pollution, a damning report has revealed.
In 2018, our air quality met legally binding EU standards but fell short of the World Health Organisation’s expectations, with the burning of solid fuels like coal and vehicle emissions being the main culprits.
Dr Micheál Lehane of the EPA said: “We all expect that the air we breathe is clean, but we cannot take this for granted.
“Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health, so it is now time to tackle the two key issues that impact negatively on air quality in Ireland – transport emissions in large urban areas and emissions from burning of solid fuels.
“The choices we make affect the levels of pollution in the air we breathe.
“We need to de-carbonise our public transport system and in general reduce our reliance on internal combustion vehicles.
“Moving to cleaner ways of heating our homes will also significantly improve air quality in our towns and cities.”
The Asthma Society of Ireland have called on members of the government to introduce a ban on smoky coal as the first step towards a cleaner country.
CEO Sarah O’Connor said: “Air pollution is a public health concern, with potentially harmful effects on all.
“Children face even higher risks, both to their health and their development.
“Those with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma are particularly vulnerable to high levels of fine particles in the air caused by burning of solid fuel and of nitrogen dioxide from vehicle emissions.”
