Ireland falling behind with air pollution monitoring, charity says

The Asthma Society of Ireland has called for more air quality monitoring as part of its 2015 Clean Air Campaign.

It says Ireland is falling behind European standards for air monitoring. We have 31 monitoring sites for a population of 4.7 million, the charity says, compared with 20 sites in Northern Ireland for a population of 1.7 million.

The charity also says that real-time monitoring, within the hour, is only possible at three stations.

More than 470,000 people in Ireland – one in 10 adults and one in five children – suffer from the chronic respiratory condition, the fourth-highest rate in the world.

Air quality is monitored and reported on by the Environmental Protection Agency, but only half the counties in Ireland have monitoring sites.

Asthma Ireland wants an extension of monitoring to every county; a nationwide smoky coal ban; and new legislation, meeting World Health Organisation standards, on air pollution.

The charity is asking people to sign a petition asking all political parties to prioritise air quality policy.

Chief executive Sharon Cosgrove said people with chronic respiratory disease were more vulnerable to air pollution. FIONA GARTLAND