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.

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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.

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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?

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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

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 sort of improvement measures can be put in place to address aircraft noise?

    Fingal County Council are responsible for any planning related matters at the airport. This can include enforcement actions if the airport authorities are deemed to breach existing planning conditions. Fingal County Council is also responsible for developing the Dublin Airport Noise Action Plan (NAP). The NAP is designed to manage noise issues and effects associated with Dublin Airport, and where necessary, present measures to reduce the harmful effects of aviation noise where practical.

    The Airport Noise Competent Authority (ANCA) monitors, and regulates where necessary, for the management of aircraft noise in the communities around Dublin Airport. ANCA is a separate and independent Directorate within Fingal County Council. ANCA monitor compliance with noise mitigation (improvement) measures and any operating restrictions at Dublin Airport. When a noise problem is identified, ANCA will ensure that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) balanced approach to Aircraft Noise Management is adopted.

    A Noise Abatement Objective (NAO) is a policy objective for managing the effects of aircraft noise emissions on the surrounding communities and environment at an airport. It is an objective to ensure that any growth at the airport occurs in the most sustainable manner possible with regards to noise. An NAO may be used to guide the decisions that are needed by the ANCA to manage the aircraft noise aspects of future aircraft operations at Dublin airport.

  • What is the role of the various competent authorities in relation to Dublin Airport?

    Information on the roles of the various competent authorities is provided below.  

    Dublin Airport Authority (DAA)              

    The daa has numerous policies and procedures in place in dealing with different elements of noise around the airport. Dublin Airport have their own WebTrak Flight Monitoring System which provides a system for members of the public to monitor flights and submit noise complaints. The Dublin Airport complaints procedure allows for an investigation by their Noise & Flight Track analyst into any given complaint to determine if aircraft have breached the environmental noise corridor. For more information see Dublin Airport Noise.

    Air Nav Ireland

    Air Nav Ireland oversee all aircraft arriving and departing Dublin Airport.  Air Nav Ireland provides air traffic control services in Ireland and controls the route in which the aircraft travel. Air traffic management has a vital part to play, not just in delivering a safe and cost-efficient air navigation service but also in minimising the adverse effects of civil aviation, notably aircraft noise and engine emissions. The Flight Track Monitoring Service of daa regularly meet with Air Nav Ireland to carry out a review of aircraft movements in the vicinity of the airport. Further information is available on the Air Nav Ireland website AirNav - Home.

    Airport Noise Competent Authority (ANCA)

    ANCA has the responsibility of ensuring that noise generated by aircraft at Dublin airport are assessed in accordance with EU and Irish Legislation. ANCA monitor compliance with noise mitigation measures and operating restrictions at Dublin Airport. Where a noise problem is identified, ANCA will ensure that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) balanced approach to Aircraft Noise Management is adopted. For more information see Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA) Fingal County Council.

    The ANCA Aircraft Noise Mitigation report for Dublin airport explains the various steps surrounding aircraft noise mitigation along with the different roles the associated competent authorities play in maintaining such procedures. This report (here) also gives relevant Competent Authority contact details.

    According to ANCA, any aircraft noise complaints should continue to be made to the Dublin Airport Authority (daa); https://www.dublinairport.com/about-us/-community-affairs/noise-complaint. 

    Fingal County Council

    Fingal Co. Council are responsible for any planning related matters at the airport. This can include enforcement actions if the airport authorities are deemed to breach existing planning conditions.

    Fingal County Council is also responsible for developing the Dublin Airport Noise Action Plan (NAP) NAP Final.pdf (fingal.ie), as is required under the Environmental Noise Regulations. The NAP is designed to manage noise issues and effects associated with Dublin Airport, and where necessary, present measures to reduce the adverse effects of aviation noise where practical.  A 6-8 week public consultation phase will be undertaken by Fingal County Council on the drat NAP.

    An Bord Pleanála

    The North Runway was originally granted planning permission in August 2007 by An Bórd Pleanála (to be named an Coimisiún Pleanála) with conditions that include limitations on night-time use of both the new North Runway and Dublin Airport as a whole. In December 2020, the daa submitted a planning application to modify conditions associated with the new North Runway.

    The Airport Noise Competent Authority (ANCA) carried out a detailed noise impact assessment of Dublin Airport’s proposals and made a Draft Regulatory Decision in 2021. The Draft Regulatory Decision proposed the introduction of noise mitigation measures to ensure that issues of concern identified in the assessment can be managed in both the short and longer term.

    In August 2022, the planning permission was approved by Fingal County Council. The decision allows for new rules around night-time flights to come into effect at Dublin Airport, as put forward by the ANCA. Fingal County Council's decision has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála. It is expected that an appeal decision will be issued by An Bord Pleanála in 2024.

     

    Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

    The EPA is the national authority for overseeing the implementation of the Environmental Noise Regulations 2018, as amended. This includes supervisory and advisory functions in relation to strategic noise mapping and noise action planning (every 5 years) for major roads, major rail, major airports, and for large agglomerations (Dublin, Cork & Limerick). The principal stakeholders in Round 4 mapping are the Noise Mapping Bodies (NMBs) which included the Local authorities and the daa. Noise mapping and action plans | Environmental Protection Agency (epa.ie)

    The Round 4 Strategic Noise Maps are published at EPA Maps (Environment & Wellbeing – Noise). The airport maps are also available on the daa website Contour Maps Information and Downloads| Dublin Airport. The Round 4 noise maps are based on 2021 data as required by the legislation, the Round 4 mapping guidance and instructions from the European Environment Agency, so the maps do not include the new airport runway which commenced operations in August 2022.

    The Dublin airport noise action plan (NAP) is due to be published in January 2025, and there will be a public consultation phase in 2024. The EPA provides technical noise guidance on how to prepare the maps and action plans.

    The EPA does not have an enforcement role in relation to noise emissions arising from the operation of Dublin airport. The EPA provides a noise complaints section on their website. This section outlines the different types of noise complaints and provides links to the relevant competent authorities. See Noise complaints section on the EPA website.

     

     

  • How is an airport noise complaint investigated?

    The daa have a procedure on their website which outlines how a noise complaint can be made and how it is investigated - Noise Complaints Procedure| Dublin Airport

    The daa operate a Noise & Flight Track analyst to investigate each complaint individually to determine if aircraft have breached the environmental noise corridor. The corridors are the designated airspace that aircraft using the runways at Dublin airport are expected to fly within. If it is concluded that an aircraft has breached the environmental noise corridor, then a letter is sent to the complainant confirming this, and details of the breach are then sent to the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA-ANSP) for further investigation (https://www.iaa.ie/about-us). The result of the IAA-ANSP investigation is conveyed to the daa Noise and Flight Track Analyst and a letter is then sent to the complainant regarding the results of the IAA-ANSP’s investigation. For access to Dublin Airports Web Trak, see  WebTrak: Dublin Airport (emsbk.com)

  • If I have a complaint about noise at Dublin airport, who do I report it too?

    In the first instance, you should contact the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). The DAA have a complaints procedure on their website Noise Complaints Procedure| Dublin Airport. The DAA are also contactable using their dedicated free phone noise complaints helpline 1800200034

  • What other organisations provide information on environmental noise?

    The Citizen information site has a section on Noise pollution and complaints, including some information on Noise from transport. Noise pollution and noise complaints (citizensinformation.ie)

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