Air is of critical importance to supporting life in all its forms. Natural events such as volcanoes, desert dust and forest fires and occurrences such as sea salt particles being carried in the wind have always affected the quality of the air we breathe. But day-to-day human activities have a greater impact on our atmosphere. Emissions from home heating, agriculture, transport and energy generation all contribute to poorer air quality throughout the year. Poor air quality has serious health implications both in the short term (e.g. causing temporary illnesses such as headaches, breathing difficulties or eye irritation) and in the long term (e.g. causing chronic illnesses such as asthma, reduced liver function and cardiovascular diseases). The latest estimates from the European Environment Agency (EEA) calculate that in excess of 1300 premature deaths occur in Ireland each year because of poor air quality (EEA, 2020a).
In addition to emissions from various sources of air pollution, meteorological conditions influence air quality. Owing to Ireland’s geographical location as an island on the periphery of Europe, with prevailing winds from the south-west, it is less frequently affected by transboundary air pollution from its neighbours. Historically too, the absence of large cities and heavy industry in Ireland resulted in less pressure on air quality. However, data from the expanded National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme, which is providing more comprehensive air quality information, indicate several areas of poorer air quality across the country (EPA, 2017). It is becoming increasingly clear that there are challenges to good air quality in both urban and rural areas that need to be addressed.
