Noise

Did you know that excessive noise can seriously harm human health and interfere with people’s daily activities at school, at work, at home and during leisure time. It can cause stress, disturb sleep, cause psychophysiological effects, and provoke annoyance responses, and changes in social behaviour.

Neighbour's dog barking all day and night?

If you don’t get a satisfactory response from the dog owner, you may complain to the District Court, using the form prescribed under the Control of Dogs Act. These forms are available from local authorities.

A busy road with a lot of cars andlights

Noise research in Ireland

The EPA has commissioned a three-year research project Noise and Health Evidence from Ireland that will provide a detailed review of the relationship between environmental noise and health/wellbeing.

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What can you do about Noise?

How to make a complaint
Noise factsheet
Noise factsheet

Noise in the environment

Recent assessments of the effects of noise highlight the significance of noise as a health concern and not only an annoyance issue. The European Environment Agency (EEA) estimates that long-term exposure to environmental noise from road traffic, railways, aircraft and industry contributes to 48,000 new cases of heart disease and 12,000 premature deaths each year in Europe. The EEA also estimates that 22 million people suffer from chronic high levels of annoyance and 6.5 million people suffer from chronic high levels of sleep disturbance as a result of long-term noise exposure.

What's happening with Noise?

Environmental noise is ‘unwanted or harmful outdoor sound’ arising from all areas of human activity. Noise is caused by many everyday activities, the most common sources of environmental noise exposure in Ireland are from transport including road traffic, railways, and aircraft.

In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region. The guidelines set out how noise pollution in urban areas is increasing and how excessive noise, particularly from transport, is adversely affecting sleep, as well as cardiovascular and metabolic function, and is therefore having a negative impact on human health and wellbeing.

In Ireland, road transport, particularly in urban areas, is the main source of transport noise. Strategic noise maps are used to predict noise exposure levels.

 

 

Noise and your health

Noise complaints

What's being done?

Woman monitoring sound levels at building site

The EPA has commissioned a three-year research project Noise and Health Evidence from Ireland that will provide a detailed review of the relationship between environmental noise and health/wellbeing. This research will provide a national estimate of the burden of disease from environmental noise in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). It is led by University College Dublin (UCD) and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). 

 

Noise guidelines and legislation

Noise mapping and action plans

Noise research

Featured reports on Noise

in: noise
Report cover IE 2020 - Chapter 4
Environmental Noise

Ireland's Environment 2020 - Chapter 4

Ireland's Environment 2020 provides an update on the environmental challenges that we face both nationally and globally. The report adds to a range of thematic and research reports available from the EPA that cover many of the issues reported on in more detail.

FAQs about noise

in: Noise

Environmental noise is 'unwanted sound' arising from all areas of human activity such as noise from transport, industrial and recreational activities. Excessive noise can:

  • seriously harm human health, including mental health
  • interfere with people’s daily activities at school, at work, at home & during leisure time
  • disrupt sleep, cause cardiovascular and psychophysiological effects
  • lower performance, lead to annoyance responses and changes in social behaviour

Popular FAQs

  • What is environmental noise?

    Environmental noise is 'unwanted sound' arising from all areas of human activity such as noise from transport, industrial and recreational activities. Excessive noise can:

    • seriously harm human health, including mental health
    • interfere with people’s daily activities at school, at work, at home & during leisure time
    • disrupt sleep, cause cardiovascular and psychophysiological effects
    • lower performance, lead to annoyance responses and changes in social behaviour

    In Ireland, we would normally consider noise complaints under four main categories:

    • entertainment
    • domestic/neighbourhood noise
    • industrial/commercial activities
    • transport-related noise

  • What can I do about noise arising from public events?

    Any event such as a concert or festival would normally require planning permission. However, in some cases, a particular venue may have prior approval to stage a set number of concerts/events per annum.  The appropriate local authority (city/county council) should be contacted in relation to any planning conditions relating to noise for these once-off events

  • My neighbour's dog is barking, what can I do?

    Initially, it may be sufficient to explain to the dog owner causing the noise that it's a nuisance and come to some mutually acceptable understanding.

    However, persistent problems arising from barking dogs are covered under the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 & 1992.  A copy of the Form used for complaints to the Courts about noise from dogs is available from your local authority (city/council).

  • What can I do about a noise nuisance?

    There are a number of steps open to you under the law when you are experiencing a nuisance caused by noise. The procedures detailed below are designed to cover general neighbourhood type noise problems, such as continual noise from other houses home workshops, local businesses etc. The Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 (Noise) Regulations, 1994 (S.I. No.179 of 1994) provide redress in the case of these types of problems. They are designed to allow straightforward access to the Courts by individuals or groups concerned about excessive noise.

    When can I take action to deal with noise as a nuisance?

    Whenever you consider noise to be so loud, so continuous, so repeated or of such duration or pitch, or occurring at such times that it gives you reasonable cause for annoyance you can initiate action to deal with it.

    What action can I take?

    Initially, it may be sufficient to explain to whoever is causing the noise that it is a nuisance and come to some mutually acceptable understanding. If this does not resolve the matter you will need to take the following steps:

    • contact your local authority for assistance on general neighbourhood noise, as detailed above. Noise compaints about privately rented accommodation should be directed to the landlord and the relevant city/county council in the case of local authority housing.
    • contact the EPA if you want to make a complaint about an EPA licenced activity.
    • you may exercise your right to make a formal complaint to the District Court seeking an Order to deal with the nuisance. Forms are available from the District Court office.

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