HSE official 'horrified' that council has never carried out air pollution monitoring in gridlocked Cork town

Council director of services said recent assessment of traffic and air quality has been carried out by team designing proposed upgrade of the N20 road to motorway status

More than 18,000 vehicles pass through Charleville's main street every day. File picture: Brendan Gleeson

A senior HSE Public Health manager has said she is “horrified” that no air pollution monitoring has been carried out by Cork County Council in Charleville — one of the most gridlocked towns in Munster.

Fine Gael councillor Aileen Browne, a business manager for the HSE Public Health and who lives in the town, expressed “horrified” surprise that it appears no air quality monitoring was ever undertaken in Charleville.

More than 18,000 vehicles pass through main street every day, many of them heavy-goods vehicles. Engines emit more pollution than normal when they are 'idling' in traffic jams and congestion.

Ms Browne was responding after a written reply on the issue was given to councillors by Ger Barry, the local authority’s director of services, planning, and environment.

Mr Barry stated: "At present, no previous air quality assessments relating to Main Street, Charleville, have been identified. Further enquiries and searches are ongoing to determine whether Cork County Council holds any historical records, assessment reports, or other relevant information."

Mr Barry added that a recent assessment of traffic and air quality has been carried out in Charleville by a team designing the proposed upgrade of the N20 Cork-Limerick road to motorway status.

He said the findings of this assessment will be made available in due course.

Ms Browne said she found it “extraordinary” that there appeared to have been no air pollution monitoring in what is probably the most congested town in Munster.

Councillors representing the Carrigaline area last year expressed shock that a council pollution monitor in the town had been out of action for almost 18 months. New equipment has since been installed.

“Everybody knows that you will be stuck in traffic for ages and all the emissions coming from gridlocked vehicle are there for the people of Charleville to inhale,” she said.

Meanwhile Studies carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed that nitrogen dioxide levels in Macroom town centre were reduced by 53.8% after the bypass was opened.

Ms Browne said the respiratory health of locals in congested towns remains at risk.

“We need to take concerns of our residents seriously and this council has a responsibility to take these concerns seriously as well,” she said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Ian Doyle urged officials to seek out any pollution reports the council may have undertaken.

He said there is an “urgency” to make the recent one carried out by the motorway planning team publicly available as soon as possible.