Paul Murphy raises alarm over toxic Gorse smoke in Cherrywood

Thanks a lot, Chair. Yeah, I want to raise what I think is a major unaddressed public health failure. It's a local issue, not in my constituency, but in Dun Laoghaire, but I think it has quite wide national implications in the context of climate change we're seeing, and therefore the likelihood of an increased number of course fires. Effectively over a two-week period, or slightly more, in August, there were repeated fires in Ticknick Park, affecting thousands and thousands of residents in Cherrywood, and the response by the agencies was completely, completely inadequate, and the result is the residents have had to get themselves organised, have done an incredible amount of research, which I've been able to read. Some of to you and are demanding action. They've been working with our local councillor, Dave O'Keefe. Effectively, they provided me with a document, and I've spoken to them, providing a detailed account of 20-plus interconnected major fire incidents, comprising over 135 recorded events and 150-plus firefighting operations within a two-week period. They were repeatedly reignited within hours of being declared disposed, but they were downplayed. The health hazard was downplayed, they were prematurely closed as incidents, and the priority was downgraded. There were no public health warnings issued, no sustained escalation occurred, and residents were left continuously exposed until the weather conditions shifted. Basically, what we're being told, I've put in parliamentary questions, and I've got an answer from the Minister, and an answer from the HSE. They're kind of saying nothing serious happened here in terms of a health issue. There is a significant issue. This isn't just regular smoke. There's extra particles in the context of the Gorse fires, and they did their own. So there is air monitoring stations, but not that they're relying on to say everything was fine. But they're quite a distance from where the fire took place. They're further away from where the homes are. And they did an amount of study themselves based on indoor air quality, so inside people's homes. And the results are very, very striking. I have it all here. I can send it. But data confirms continuous toxic exposure inside homes for two weeks. These toxic levels were recorded inside homes just 10 metres from Cherrywood Primary School. And the school was obviously closed in August, but if it had been open, children would have spent hours directly downwind of the smoke. The PM2.5 and VOC levels were up to nine times WHO limits. There was no effective protection or practical health guidance. Instead, there was deference to outdated protocols on these distant air monitoring stations. Children in particular were left unprotected as well as vulnerable residents. What the residents are asking is quite simple. Formal recognition that Gorse wildfire smoke is a direct public health hazard. Updated health guidance and fire response protocols that reflect modern science and international best practice. Incident-specific monitoring located where fires impact. So you go and you monitor where the fires are actually taking place. Access to practical protection. Families were faced with spending hundreds of euros in terms of HEPA filters, masks and so on. Prioritising schools and national groups. And a clear national framework ensuring that HSE, EPA, local authorities and fire services act together so no community is ever left unprotected again. I do think there is a quite serious issue here. It is very, very impressive the research that the residents have done which I think proves very clearly that there is a significant issue that is going to reoccur here. And that we need a change of policy in terms of dealing with it, not least to be in line with the EU level obligations. I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this issue. And on behalf of Minister Daryl O'Brien, I am taking this topical issue this morning. Deputy Deputy, the air we breathe is fundamental to our health, our environment and to the overall wellbeing of our communities. National, from an ambient air quality point of view, the main air pollutants of concern are fine parasite matter for particulate matter from solid fuel combustion and nitrogen dioxide from transport. However, wildfires or localised fire incidents through infrequent can impact on air quality. Under the air pollution act 1987 where it appears to a local authority that urgent measures are necessary to prevent or to limit air pollution affecting any part of their functional area or any adjoining area, local authorities may take such steps to carry out such operations or give such assistance as they consider necessary to prevent or to limit such pollution or to remedy the effects of any such pollution. Local authorities are dependent in the exercise of their statutory functions under the air pollution act 1987. In addition, the EPA has advised that they work closely with D'Aleary Ratdown, local authorities regarding such incidents and can assist through the provision of support and advice on air pollution. In terms of dealing with fires, including Gorse fires, the provision of fire services and its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises as a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act 1981 and 2003. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, NDFEM, supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters, and providing capital funding for equipment and priority infrastructure projects. The NDFEM developed a policy document called Keeping Communities Safe, which sets out a system of national processes and standards for fire services delivery in Ireland based on the risk management approach. The Keep Community Safe document is the outcome of a wide-ranging review of fire service activities and is supported by a series of documents on issues such as fire services training and safety management systems for fire services. A further set of documents titled Good Practice Notes, which describe methods for the fire services to deal with a range of solutions aimed to achieve consistent good practice nationally. In terms of monitoring ambient air quality, the National Competent Authority for the monitoring and assessment of ambient air quality is the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA works closely with local authorities to site, install, operate and maintain monitoring stations at locations around the country. Health data is provided to the public in the form of the Air Quality Index for Health, which translates both monitored and modelled air quality to health advice. The European Environment Agency report, Europe's Environment 2025, noted in Ireland's country profile that Ireland's air quality is among Europe's best. It also noted that Ireland meets current EU air quality standard. Significant progress in improving Ireland's air quality was also noted this year in the annual Clean Air Strategy Progress Report July 2025, including that Ireland has reduced ammonia emissions on foot of improvements in agricultural practices and reduced sulfur dioxide emissions due to a greater use of renewables in energy generation and increased retrofitting and heat pump installation. However, as acknowledged in Ireland's Clean Air Strategy, there is no safe level of air pollution and we must continue to ensure that we put the appropriate measures in place to protect our air quality. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Minister. Mr Lott, thanks to the Minister for the answer. The Minister will himself acknowledge that I am sure there is not much there in terms of the actual incidents and the actual petition that the residents have launched and their experience. They have sent, by the way, all of the data to certainly the Minister for Health. Let me give you some of the key findings from the survey that the residents conducted, which I think give a picture of the problem here. That is a problem for residents in Cherrywood, but can be a problem for people all across the country or anywhere where gorse fires can impact on air quality. So, 60 households responded to the survey, 100% of them reported smoke entering indoors despite them keeping their windows shut, with exposure lasting 10 to 14 consecutive days for most of the households. 80% of them reported persistent coughing or sore throat, 70% headaches or migraines, 65% sleep disruption from nighttime smoke, 40% stress, anxiety about health and safety, 25% nausea, fatigue or eye irritation. And children were affected in at least 60% of households. To quote from some of the personal stories of residents. Quote, even with windows sealed, my toddler woke up coughing and needed a doctor. Quote, we spent 400 euros on a purifier, but our baby still woke coughing. The heat made it unbearable. Quote, I woke at night thinking the house was on fire. The smoke inside was so strong. Quote, our newborn was exposed during her first three weeks of life. This is unacceptable in a modern country. And I would go back to the point that the World Health Organisation, the US CDC and the European Environment Agency treat wildfire smoke as a major public health hazard. The EU directive requires Member States to provide representative protective air quality information to the public. And yet here we have an actual incident over a period of two weeks in Cherrywood where families are enduring exposure without meaningful monitoring, without warnings or without health advice. I think better needs to be done. Thank you. Minister. I would like to thank the Deputy for his input this morning on this important issue. Although ambient air quality in Ireland is recognised as among the best in Europe, there is no safe level of air pollution. And there are policies and legislation in place to ensure that we will continue to strive to minimise the impact of air pollution on our citizens and on the environment. Local authorities are independent statutory bodies which are key in tackling gorse fires and air pollution more generally. They are supported by policy and legislation to carry out the necessary actions within their functional areas. Deputy, we need to continue to support our local authorities and their work both in relation to dealing with localised incidents and also more generally in supporting them to implement relevant measures in the clean air strategy to protect our air quality in Ireland. And finally, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the local authority and the fire brigade personnel on the ground who are at the coal face of dealing with such fires. And as you are aware, Deputy, a lot of these fires happen all over the country as well, not just in your local area. And it is an issue that does affect the air that we breathe. And I want to compliment the fire brigade in all fairness that they will be out, sometimes they will be out 24 hours trying to quench these gorse fires. Some of them are started deliberately. Why? I don't know. Some of them are started by nature, but it does have a huge impact, particularly in the air that we breathe and particularly if it is near a town or a village. The first thing you have to do is try and close all the windows, but the smoke does eventually get in. But look, I will bring to the attention of the Minister, Dara O'Brien, in order to the Minister for Health, the issue and the petition, I think, that you said has been submitted to the Department. I will make sure that she actually sees it and reads it. And I will ask her to come back directly back to you on this. And thanks for raising the issue. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.