ENNIS’ poor air quality has been blamed with increasing admissions to emergency departments.
Air pollution levels in the county town have in recent years been worse than Beijing with concern voiced by elected representatives on its continued impact on the health of the town’s residents.
Updated recommendations for air quality were published by the WHO in 2021 after a scientific review but the EU has yet to update its own directive, last revised more than a decade ago. Air pollution is linked to 7m premature deaths globally, 400,000 in the EU, and more than 1,300 in Ireland every year due to factors such as particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide.
Estimates that poor air quality causes 1,300 premature deaths in Ireland annually are likely out of date, with figures closer to more than 3,300, according to leading chemistry expert, John Sodeau who is an emeritus chemistry professor at UCC.
Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) this week proposed the preparation of an air quality management plan for either the entire county or just Ennis Town. “In light of the serious health implications of poor air quality, winter trolley crisis at UHL and the absence of a level 3 hospital to serve Clare people such a plan should include for air pollution alerting to the public, better air pollution monitoring using more extensive and varied type of measurement”.
Following previous motions by Cllr Flynn on the subject, the matter was discussed by the Physical Development SPC of Clare County Council in June when it was decided not to carry out a review.
The EPA are the competent authority in the area of air quality and monitor a number of atmospheric pollutants including particulate matter (PM10 and PN 2.5), sulphur dioxide (SD), nitrogen dioxide (N02) and nitrogen oxides (NOX). The main sources of these pollutants are from solid fuel and transportation. The EPA currently monitor PM10, PM2.5 and SD at the Ennis Monitoring Station which is located in Drumbiggle.
Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the Ennis MD, Cllr Flynn noted how Ennis has received “negative press” at a local and national level over its air quality. “High spikes during the winter months leads to increased ED admissions, we’ve a crisis in this region on overcrowding on trolleys,” he said.
Flynn added, “We have only two areas suffering from poor air quality in the county, Ennis and South East Clare so I felt it was important we support this at Municipal District level so that fellow councillors know it is a serious issue impacting on young children and vulnerable in Ennis”.
Director of Services, Carmel Kirby outlined that there was 21 exceedances for air quality levels in Ennis last year, “nationally the EPA accept 35 exceedances before deciding there is a breach”. The ban on the burning of smoky fuel will be a help, she maintained, “while it was banned previously in Ennis and other towns people could still acquire it from other locations, once this ban is in place the importation of smoky coal is likely to be limited”. Drumbiggle is “the lowest point for monitoring, the measurements are taken on the hour every hour so we’re getting the worst case scenario”.
Any recommendations to “help the health of our county and our town has to be supported,” Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) commented. Cllr Mary Howard (FG) said, “Ennis by its geographical shape is low lying, it is like a valley almost”. She acknowledged it has been a consistent issue, “We’ve had a really difficult time this winter with respiratory illnesses, it’s incumbent on us to be proactive”.
Greater public awareness on the impact of smoky coal would help, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) believed, “It’s vital that health is the number one priority, I noticed going for a walk a few weeks ago you could see the smog and you’d smell it on your clothes”.
Having a plan would make underline if Ennis’ air quality was causing health issues, Cllr Ann Norton (IND) stated. “One of the biggest issues in the county at the moment is the lack of hospital beds and the fact there’s such a crisis in UHL, if the air quality is causing damage to the respiratory system and it is making people sick then we can do our bit to reduce the amount of people travelling to the ED in Limerick. The last thing we want is for children to grow up in the town or on the outskirts with a risk of respiratory illness”.
Implications to people’s health must be made clear, Cllr Flynn stressed. “This plan will look at better measurement of air pollution and give forecasting to people to stay indoors for a day or two. It is quite frightening to see people out running on a smoggy evening when they think they are doing their health good”.
In response, Ms Kirby reiterated Ennis was not exceeding national breaches. “Ennis is a safe place to run, walk and cycle, it is a safe place”. She confirmed that a request for a new monitoring station in Ennis was declined by the EPA.
Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) said it was “unfortunate” that “the location of the monitoring station is in worst possible location, it is giving the worst figures”. This was rejected by Cllr Flynn, “We’re very fortunate that the EPA monitoring is located where it is because there’s a 1000 Council houses located close to it, it picks up air quality where there is a very concentrated number of people living”.
