Breathe easy: Ireland's air among best in Europe

Ireland's air quality is currently among the best in Europe, according to new research.

The latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that the country's air meets all EU standards, and is superior to many of our European neighbours.

"We’re fortunate in Ireland that our air is generally clean,” says Laura Burke, Director General of the EPA. “Our prevailing winds come from the Atlantic, we don’t have many large cities, and we have a clean and well-regulated industrial sector."

However, the EPA latest air quality report shows that particulate matter in the air is of growing concern, especially during winter months. Ireland is required to reduce this measurement by 10% before 2020.

The World Health Organisation has much tighter limits, and while these are not currently part of Irish law, they may be adopted in the near future.

The Environmental Protection Agency is urging households and businesses to use more efficient methods to burn fuel and shift from solid fuel to cleaner alternatives, while striving to reduce demand for energy consumption.

The Air Quality in Ireland 2012 - Key Indicators of Ambient Air Quality report also shows that levels of nitrogen oxide in traffic impacted city centres may be a challenge in the future.