IRELAND’S AIR QUALITY is generally good and compliant with EU legal requirements but it will be harder to meet stricter standards in the future, the Environmental Protection Agency has said. 

The EPA published its air quality report for 2024 today, which showed that Ireland is projected to fall short of more stringent air quality standards that are set to come into effect in 2030 under the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive.

The EPA’s Roni Hawe said that meeting those future targets will require “a decisive shift away from solid fuel burning, alongside the adoption of electric vehicles, efforts to reduce traffic and encouraging the use of public transport”.

”The EU directive aims to reduce deaths caused by poor air quality, which the EPA report noted does not just affect cities in Ireland, but also towns and villages. 

The European Environment Agency estimates that more than 1,700 premature deaths are attributable to air pollution in Ireland every year. 

The primary sources of air pollution in Ireland are solid fuel burning and traffic emissions, the EPA report said.   

“Many of us have grown up with the comfort of an open fire and limited alternatives to travelling by car—but these familiar habits contribute to poor air quality,” the EPA’s Pat Byrne said.

“Supporting people to shift towards cleaner heating and more sustainable travel isn’t about giving something up, it’s about gaining healthier air and healthier lives.”