Muluken Basa, Ross Brannigan, Maisoon Mairghani, Melissa Sharp and Debbi Stanistreet
Ireland is often promoted as the beautiful emerald isle, blessed with rolling green hills and glorious clean air. While that is true across a lot of the country, the reality is that air pollution remains a significant problem, particularly in cities, but also in many rural settings, and it is causing a lot of preventable illness, inequality and premature death.
Whilst this is recognised by the government as an important policy area for action, evidence to date, suggests that Ireland is unlikely to meet the new World Health Organization (WHO) air pollution targets set by the EU for 2030, and the question remains as to whether there is sufficient resolve to turn that policy ambition into a lived reality.
Globally, the WHO estimates that almost everyone breathes air pollution that exceeds safe
limits. While the heaviest burden falls on poorer countries, Europe is far from
immune. The European Environment Agency links hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year to pollutants
such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide and ozone. These are not abstract statistics: they
translate into heart disease, asthma, stroke and shortened lives.
 |
The underestimated cost
Ireland is no exception. Air pollution is estimated to contribute to
around 1,700 premature deaths annually, equivalent to losing a small town every
year. Solid-fuel burning for home heating, traffic emissions and agricultural
activity are the main culprits. Levels of PM2.5 (tiny particles that can lodge in the lungs, brain and other organs) regularly
exceed recommended limits, quietly increasing the risk of cardiovascular and
respiratory disease, and even dementia. The cost is borne not only by the
health system, but by families, communities and the economy.
As with many environmental harms, air pollution does not affect everyone
equally. People living in disadvantaged areas, near busy roads or in poorly
insulated homes, are exposed to higher levels of pollution while having the
least capacity to reduce their risk. Children, older people and those with
chronic illness are particularly vulnerable. The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change has repeatedly
warned that climate and air-pollution harms deepen existing inequalities and Ireland’s
experience to date, would echo that message.
To its credit, the government has not been idle. Ireland’s Clean Air Strategy, published in 2023, provides a
comprehensive framework aimed at meeting EU and WHO standards through better
monitoring, cross-sectoral action and public engagement. On paper, it is
thoughtful and wide-ranging. In practice though, it seems somewhat constrained by
a familiar weakness; lack of legislative power. The strategy is not legally
binding, local authorities lack strong enforcement powers, and insufficient
attention has been paid to protecting energy-poor households.
Home heating is the main source of PM2.5 in Ireland. The
continued burning of peat and wood (and in some cases, coal) causes sharp
winter spikes in particulate pollution, particularly in smaller towns. Retrofitting and fuel-poverty schemes are intended to address this, but long
waiting lists, upfront costs and administrative hurdles have blunted their
impact to date. Without addressing these issues and without stronger income
supports, cleaner heating risks becoming another benefit that bypasses those
who need it most.
Transport is perhaps a better recognised cause of air pollution in
Ireland, and is responsible for the greatest contributor to nitrogen oxide
emissions (although tyres and brakes also contribute to PM2.5). Ireland remains deeply car-dependent, with congestion worsening year
on year, especially in the cities. Dublin’s ranking as the third most congested
city in Europe is not just an inconvenience; it’s an important public health
warning light, yet progress on transformative measures has been slow. While
projects such as BusConnects, CycleConnects and TFI Local Link promise cleaner, more efficient mobility, delivery has been hampered by
fragmented governance, limited local capacity, delays in rollout and political
caution.
Health in all policies approach
What is missing is a consistent focus on health. A Health
in All Policies approach would require decision-makers
in transport, housing, energy and planning to account explicitly for the health
consequences of their choices. Clean air should be treated as a public good,
not an optional co-benefit of climate policy. When infrastructure is designed, when
budgets are allocated, when fuels are regulated, the question should be simple:
will this reduce pollution and improve health, especially for the most
vulnerable?
Good intentions alone will not deliver clean air. Ireland has no
shortage of strategies, plans or targets. What it lacks is consistent, coordinated
delivery and the political courage to enforce standards, phase out
high-emission fuels and prioritise equity. A just transition must extend beyond
energy and industry to include transport, housing and public health. Clean air
is achievable, affordable and economically beneficial. The true cost of delay
is not only measured in euros, but in lives shortened, healthcare costs and
communities left behind.
Moving from policy to practice is now the test. Ireland’s air – and its
people – deserve nothing less.
Researchers at the RCSI School of Population Health are leading the Mitigating
Air Pollution (MAP) Impact Project, funded by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) under the EPA Research Programme 2030. The project focuses on Dublin
and Cork, brings together experts from RCSI, the HSE, the EPA, the National Health Intelligence Unit, and SETU, and also works closely with partners
such as the Irish Heart Foundation and the Asthma Society of Ireland. The
aim of the project is to evaluate the health and economic burden of air
pollution in Ireland and provide practical recommendations to reduce it.
In the coming weeks, we will explore
the main source of air pollution in greater detail and outline some of the
interventions that need to be considered if Ireland is to meet the new EU 2030
targets on air pollution.
Authors
- Dr Muluken Basa is a postdoctoral researcher on the MAP Impact project, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, School of Population Health, RCSI
- Dr Ross Brannigan is a lecturer in the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, School of Population Health, RCSI
- Dr Maisoon Mairghani is a senior postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, School of Population Health, RCSI
- Dr Melissa Sharp is a research officer at the Health Research Board
- Professor Debbi Stanistreet is Professor of Public Health in the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, School of Population Health, RCSI
Comments
Post a Comment