National Clean Air Strategy Consultation

The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE) is developing a national Clean Air Strategy with the aim of promoting clean air policies to enhance and protect the quality of the air we breathe.

The Clean Air Strategy will provide the strategic policy framework necessary to identify and promote the integrated measures across government policy that are required to reduce air pollution and promote cleaner air while delivering on wider national objectives.

The European Commission held its first ever Clean Air Dialogue with Ireland 1-2 March 2017, to promote actions to improve air quality and contribute to Ireland's implementation of EU clean air legislation. The productive dialogue is summarised in shared conclusions that will also feed into this consultation process.

DCCAE invited submissions in relation to the proposed Clean Air Strategy and prepared a paper to aid discussion.

The questions in the paper were posed only as an aid to the consultation process, which closed on at 5.30pm on Friday 28 April 2017. Participants were also invited to comment on other aspects of the proposed approach.

Following the consultation a summary report was completed and drafting of a Clean Air Strategy commenced but was not published.

Tackling the sources and causes of air pollution is a significant cross-Governmental challenge, as it involves emissions from transport, industry, agriculture, shipping and the use of solid fuels in homes. Given the wide range of pollutant sources, it is important that action is coordinated across various sectors.

There were a number of national frameworks in development or in place at the time which were also essential in helping to reduce pollutant emissions and improve air quality, across a number of Departments. It was important that synergies between these plans and the Clean Air Strategy were maximised, with a view to achieving lasting reductions in the health and environmental impacts of air pollution in the most effective manner.

More recent policy developments also had to feed into the development of a new draft Clean Air Strategy, such as the National Air Pollution Control Programme, the public consultation on the new solid fuel regulations and the Climate Action Plan 2021.

Given the time elapsed since the previous consultation, it was decided a new consultation should be held in March 2022.

Consultation on the Clean Air Strategy for Ireland