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- Air quality in Ireland is generally good, however, there are concerning localised issues that are impacting negatively on the air we breathe.
- Ireland met all of its EU legal requirements in 2021, but it did not meet the new health-based WHO guidelines.
- Ireland and Europe should move towards achieving the health-based WHO air quality guidelines.
- It is estimated that there are approximately 1,300 premature deaths annually in Ireland due to poor air quality from fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
- The choices we make in how we heat our homes and how we travel directly impacts the quality of the air we breathe.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today launched its annual air quality report ‘Air Quality in Ireland 2021’.
The report shows that, while air quality in Ireland is generally good and compares favourably with many of our European neighbours, there are concerning localised issues, which lead to poor air quality.
While Ireland met EU legal air quality limits in 2021, it did not meet the health-based World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines for a number of pollutants including: particulate matter (PM), nitrogen Dioxide (N02), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3), due to the burning of solid fuel in our towns and villages and traffic in our cities.
Poor air quality has a negative impact on people’s health and there are an estimated 1,300 premature deaths in Ireland per year due to particulate matter in our air. Air monitoring results in 2021 from EPA stations across Ireland show that fine particulate matter (PM2.5), mainly from burning solid fuel in our homes, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) mainly from road traffic, remain the main threats to good air quality.
Launching the report, Air Quality in Ireland 2021, Dr Micheál Lehane, Director of the EPA’s Office of Radiation Protection & Environmental Monitoring, said, “The EPA’s air quality monitoring carried out in 2021 has shown that Ireland met all of its EU legal requirements in 2021. However, we would not have met the new WHO air quality guidelines for health. Meeting the new WHO guidelines for air quality will be a major challenge for the country, however the report identifies a number of solutions to move towards these guideline levels”.
In the report the EPA states that:
- Ireland and Europe should move towards achieving the health-based WHO air quality guidelines.
- The planned National Clean Air Strategy for Ireland needs to be published and fully implemented.
- Local Authorities must provide more resources to increase air enforcement activities.
- National investment in clean public transport is needed across the country.
Mr Pat Byrne, EPA Programme Manager, said, “Air quality in Ireland is generally good, however, there are localised issues that are impacting negatively on air quality and our health. In our towns and villages monitoring identifies high levels of particulate matter associated with burning solid fuels and in our larger cities high levels of nitrogen dioxide is associated with road traffic. There are options and solutions to help improve the air we breathe. Changes we make to how we heat our homes and finding alternative ways to travel can immediately impact our local air quality”.
The EPA’s Air Quality in Ireland 2021 report is now available HERE on the EPA website.
The EPA continually monitors air quality across Ireland and provides the air quality index for health and real-time results online HERE.
Results are updated hourly on the website, and people can log on at any time to check whether the current air quality is good, fair or poor.
You can also find out how to improve air quality from the EPA’s “How we can improve the air we breathe infographic” or check out the ‘ABC for Cleaner Air’ campaign from the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, which highlights some simple steps we can all make and help reduce pollution from solid fuels.
Further information: Emily Williamson, EPA Media Relations Office: Tel: 053-91 70770 (24 hours) and media@epa.ie
An inquest heard yesterday that a woman bled to death, following a systems failure, while she was an inpatient at University Hospital Limerick, (UHL), latter a medical facility serving North Co. Tipperary.
The UL Hospitals Group issued an unreserved apology to the family members of 47-year-old Mrs Susan Doherty, latter who lost her life while in the care of staff at University Hospital Limerick on July 4th, 2020; just eight days after she had presented herself there, suffering with a low white blood cell count, a sore throat and a high temperature.
Doctors had requested an urgent scan of Mrs Doherty’s abdomen and pelvis, after she had complained of a severe pain in her chest. This scan however was not carried out until nearly 24 hours later, after which
she had suffered a cardiac arrest.
Doctors had successfully resuscitated Mrs Doherty and transferred her to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, however, she sadly later died after suffering a massive bleed to her spleen.
An eventual CT scan had been taken some 5 hours after her cardiac arrest, which confirmed a major haemorrhage and she sadly died having undergone surgery to remove a ruptured spleen.
The inquest heard that Mrs Doherty had initially presented herself at UHL with a medical history of rheumatoid arthritis and with autoimmune neutropenia, latter a blood disorder where the immune system attacks white blood cells that fight infection.
She had been receiving the therapeutic drug G-CSF, for neutropenia, which carries an extremely rare risk of a splenic rupture, however, after she was admitted to the hospital, she had also received the drug Heparin, latter an anticoagulant (blood thinner) that prevents the formation of blood clots, which may have further exacerbated her internal bleeding.
Had a CT scan been performed on her earlier, it would have changed the direction of Mrs Doherty’s treatment and removed initial concerns regarding a blood clot.
The verdict of the coroner’s inquest was that death was due to shock intra-abdominal haemorrhage, due to splenic rupture.
Justice sector representatives on hand to discuss victims’ rights at Department’s stand #328, Row 20 ‘Supporting Victims of Crime’.
Over the course of three days at the Ploughing Championships starting from tomorrow, September 20th , 2022, representatives from the Department of Justice, the Irish Prison Service, the Courts Service, the Legal Aid Board and the Victims of Crime Helpline, will be working together to support victims of crime.
Staff from across the Justice Sector will be on hand at Stand #328, Row 20 under the headline ‘Supporting Victims of Crime’ to speak to members of the public about their rights and supports available, as set out in the Victims Charter, if they become or have been victims of crime.
Members of An Garda Síochána will also be there to discuss how An Garda Síochána supports and helps victims throughout the reporting and investigation process, with a view to emphasising that nobody should feel afraid to report a crime.
Representatives from the Courts Service will focus on the technological facilities in place that make the courts process easier for victims, for example the use of video-link and screens in trials. They will also be able to explain the work of court accompaniments organisations funded by the Department of Justice, such as Victims Support at Court (VSaC).
The Irish Prison Service will be highlighting the Victims Liaison Office of the Prison Service, which can liaise with victims on relevant developments in the sentence management of a prisoner, for example temporary release, which a victim may wish to be aware of.
The Legal Aid Board will be available to speak to visitors to the stand about legal aid services for victims of crime.
The Crime Victims Helpline will also be present to highlight their national support service, whether by freephone, text or by email.
Speaking ahead of the event, Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee said: “The National Ploughing Championship is an important event in the calendar each year for agricultural and rural communities in Ireland. While it is a fun and educational event that celebrates farming, rural life, music and entertainment, given the massive and diverse attendance, it is also a really positive opportunity to reach into communities.
That is why I am delighted to be able to attend and share our important message around the supports available to victims of crime. Being a victim of crime can happen to anyone, and if it does, it can be traumatic. If you do become a victim of crime, it is important to know that you are not alone – you are entitled to help and support from a range of agencies across the justice sector.
Colleagues from across the sector are available at the Department of Justice’s tent to engage with anybody interested or affected and I would encourage everyone to drop in to say hello.”
It was with a great sadness that we learned of the death yesterday, Sunday 18th September, 2022, of Mr Michael (Mick) Murphy, Kilcoke, Ballybrophy, Co. Laois and formerly of Killough, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Mr Murphy passed away peacefully surrounded his loving family, following a short illness.
His passing is most deeply regretted by his wife Stasia, children Anne, Margaret, Anthony, Catriona and Mary, sister Anna, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, nieces, extended relatives, kind neighbours and friends.
Requiescat in Pace.
Funeral Arrangements.
The earthly remains of Mr Murphy will repose at O’Sullivan’s Funeral Home, Rathdowney, Co. Laois on Tuesday evening, September 20th, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
His body will be received into St. Canice’s Church, Borris-in-Ossory, Co. Laois to further repose for Requiem Mass on Wednesday morning, September 21st, at 11:00am, followed by interment in Killasmeestia Cemetery, Co. Laois.
The extended Murphy family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time and have made arrangements for those wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
It was with a great sadness that we learned of the death yesterday, Sunday 18th September, 2022, of Mrs Eily May Wall (née Hayes), Mill Road, Skibbereen, Co. Cork, (late of Lissaclárig), and Templemore, Co. Tipperary.
Mrs Wall passed away peacefully at her place of residence surrounded by her loving family.
Pre-deceased by her infant daughters Aileen and Barbara, granddaughter Fionnuala, brother Tommy Hayes, sisters Peggy Kingston and Anna O’Rourke; her passing is most deeply regretted by her husband Jim, children Carmel, John, Michael, Maeve, Fergus, Conor and Sinéad, brother Pat Joe, daughters-in-law Áine, Sheila, Gillian (B), Gillian (F), sons-in-law Harry, Shéa and Dave, brother-in-law Paul (Kingston), sisters-in-law Mary (Wall), Anne (Hazard) and Noreen (Hennessy), 24 adored grandchildren (latter the real treasures of her long and wonderful life), extended relatives, neighbours and friends
Requiescat in Pace.
Funeral Arrangements.
The earthly remains of Mrs Wall will repose at her residents, Mill Road, Skibbereen, Co. Cork, on tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday, September 20th, from 4:00pm until 8:00pm, followed by prayers.
Her body will be received into the Cathedral of St. Patrick, Skibbereen, to further repose for Requiem Mass on Wednesday, September 21st, at 12:00 noon, followed by interment immediately afterwards in Caheragh New Cemetery.
For those unable to attend Requiem Mass for Mrs Wall, same can be viewed online HERE.
The extended Wall family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time and have made arrangements for those wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
Note Please: Family flowers only. Donations in lieu, if desired, to Cope Foundation.
Suaimhneas síoraí dá h-anam dílis.
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