Ireland outlines plans to improve air quality

Irish Environment Minister Denis Naughten on Wednesday outlined his plans to improve air quality in the European country.

Under his plans, Ireland will introduce a national smoky coal ban and a national network of real-time air quality monitoring stations. It will also enhance control of pollution from transport.

When meeting with Averil Power, chief executive officer of the Asthma Society of Ireland, Naughten confirmed that within the next six weeks he will publish the first annual transition statement under the country's Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Act.

The Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Act was passed in 2015 by parliament and is now in effect.

He said he will bring Ireland's first National Mitigation Plan to public consultation to ensure citizens can contribute to this process.

The National Mitigation Plan, which is aimed at changing Ireland to a low-carbon economy by 2050, specifies the policy measures needed to manage greenhouse gas emissions to meet national and international targets.

Naughten said he will launch the country's national climate dialogue in early 2017.

He said he will publish an initial consultation on a clean air strategy for Ireland with a view to developing an ambitious plan in line with the European Union's policy.

The Irish minister said he will announce details of a joint venture between two semi-state companies that seeks to optimize the supply and management of sustainable biomass industry for the country.

Ireland ranks fourth in the world for the condition of asthma. In Ireland alone, four deaths per day can be attributed to air pollution and a cost estimated to be around 2 billion euros (2.11 billion U.S. dollars) per year. Endit