EU’s Zero Pollution Action Plan and the Environmental Noise Directive
Although noise is found everywhere, particularly in urban areas, and is part of daily living and activity, it can be a serious risk to public health and wellbeing. Reducing noise is one of the targets of the EU’s Zero Pollution Action Plan and the Environmental Noise Directive (END).
Ireland has transposed the revised Annex III of the END. This establishes assessment methods for the harmful effects of environmental noise based on: the number of people Highly Annoyed (HA); the number of people Highly Sleep Disturbed (HSD) for roads, railways and aircraft; and instances of Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) for roads.
To adequately protect people from the negative health effects of environmental noise, measures such as redesigning roadways, using low noise road surfaces, reducing national speed limits, and creating low noise emission zones will be required. Some measures around airports may also need to be considered.
Noise-Health Research commissioned
The EPA commissioned a three-year research project, Noise and Health Evidence from Ireland, that detailed a review of the relationship between environmental noise and health/wellbeing. It was led by University College Dublin (UCD) and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
This report outlines key policy and practice recommendations for managing environmental noise in Ireland. It also details how “noise–health” considerations can be better incorporated into Irish policy. The aim was to combine noise modelling and health data to examine contributory relationships between noise exposure and health/wellbeing outcomes. The final report titled Environmental Transport Noise and Health; Evidence from Ireland (Noise – Health) is available at EPA Research Report 423