Your Rights to Clean Air
Air pollution is the presence of very small particles and gases in the air which can cause harm if you breath them in. It can be in the form of odour, smoke, dust, or industrial emissions.
Air pollution causes more than 300,000 premature deaths in the EU each year, with short- and long-term exposure increasing the risk of developmental delay, cardiovascular disease, strokes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
Due to its contribution to premature death and disease, outdoor air pollution is recognised as “the single biggest environmental threat to human health.”
While there is no standalone right to clean air, you do have a right to require the State to meet its legally binding standards on air quality. The State must take action in order to meet the minimum standards for clean air contained in national and EU law.
Below, you will find step-by-step guidelines that can help you understand how to take action.
(Last Updated – March 2026)
Outdoor air quality standards in Ireland are set by EU air quality laws. They set limits for how much of different harmful chemicals, such as nitrogen dioxide from traffic emissions, can exist in our air.
The main EU air quality standards are the Ambient Air Quality Directive (the AAQD) and the National Emission Ceilings Directive (the NEC).
The AAQD created new, higher standards for air pollutants in the environment. It brings the 2030 air quality standards closer to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Air Quality Guidelines, though they are still not the same.
This means Ireland must reduce air pollution below current levels to meet the new EU standards by January 2030 and transpose the AAQD into national law by 11 December 2026.
To find out more about the AAQD, read our Guide on the Revised EU Ambient Air Quality Directive.
Ireland must also comply with the EU’s National Emmissions Ceiling Directive (NEC).
The NEC Directive targets air pollutants at their source, e.g. factories that release them. It sets binding reduction targets for 5 main air pollutants:
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– Sulphur Dioxide.
– Nitrogen Oxide.
– Non-methane volatile organic compounds.
– Ammonia.
– Fine Particulate Matter.
Under the NEC Directive, Ireland must monitor and report on the emissions of these 5 pollutants and have a national air pollution control programme (NAPCP) on how it plans to meet its reduction targets.
The main national legislation on air pollution is the Air Pollution Act 1987. That Act provides that:
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– Non-residential occupants of a premises should try their best to limit and prevent emissions coming from that premises.
– Non-residential occupants of a premises must notify the local authority, as soon as practicable, of any incident that may cause air pollution.
– A breach of the Act is a criminal offence and can lead to a fine or imprisonment.
– Local authorities must take necessary measures to limit or prevent air pollution, including monitoring emissions and handling air pollution complaints.
Large businesses that are carrying out activities that are likely to contribute to air pollution must apply to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a licence.
This is required to carry out certain types of industrial activities, such as those processing metals, chemicals, or fossil fuels.
If a business fails to comply with the terms of an EPA license, the EPA can require it to take action, impose penalties, prosecute it, or revoke the licence.
For local air pollution issues, such as due to traffic in your neighbourhood or illegal waste burning, you can contact your local authority directly.
You can also report air pollution issues to the National Environmental Complaints Line at any time via phone at 1800 65 123 or use the ‘See it? Say it!’ smartphone app.
Your local authority is then required to investigate the complaint. Local Authorities may issue warnings, enforcement notices and penalties if they find a breach of air quality laws.
For air pollution issues caused by a site that is regulated by the EPA, such as a waste facility, the local authority should pass your complaint on to the EPA.
You can also contact the EPA directly. To check if a site is regulated by the EPA, use their site map.
If Dublin City Council if your local authority, you can make a complaint about air pollution on their Citizen Hub Platform.
If you think that a proposed development is likely to have a negative impact on air quality in your local area, you can have your say in the planning process by making a submission to the relevant authority/An Coimisiún Pleanála, for example, by requesting an Air Quality Assessment to be carried out on the project’s potential air pollution.
You can also take part in consultations on national and local transport strategies that may affect the air quality in your local area. Consultations on national strategies can be accessed on the NTA’s website here.