Noise

Background Explanation to the Current Noise Maps.

EU Directive 2002/49/EC, which was transposed into Irish law through the European Communities (Environmental Noise) Regulations 2018 to 2021, requires the local authorities within the Dublin agglomeration (South Dublin, Dublin City Council, Fingal, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Wicklow and Kildare County Councils) to produce Strategic Noise Maps and Noise Action Plans every five years. These maps shall apply to environmental noise created by human activities and particularly to noise emitted by road traffic, rail traffic, air traffic and from sites of industrial activity.

This directive was implemented on foot of an EU green paper on ‘Future Noise Policy’, which highlighted the need for a high level of health and environmental protection against noise. In this green paper, noise in the environment was addressed as one of the main environmental problems in Europe.

The aims of the directive are:

To monitor environmental noise by requiring competent authorities in member states to draw up "strategic noise maps" for agglomerations, major roads, major railways and major airports, using the harmonised noise indicators Lden (day-evening-night equivalent sound levels) and Lnight (night equivalent sound levels). These maps are to be used to assess the number of people annoyed and sleep-disturbed respectively throughout each member state in the European Union.
To inform and consult the public about noise exposure, its effects, and the measures to be considered to mitigate same.
To address local noise issues by requiring competent authorities to draw up noise action plans to mitigate noise exposure where necessary and to maintain the environmental acoustic quality where it is good. The directive does not set any limit value, nor does it prescribe the measures to be used in the action plans, which remain at the discretion of the competent authorities.

The approved Dublin Agglomeration Noise Action Plan 2024 - 2028 can be viewed on the Our Plans page HERE

The noise maps for South Dublin and the wider Dublin area can be found below.

Screening-Determination-for-AA-under-the-Habitats-Directive-(Dublin-Noise-Action-Plan)_Signed

Screening-Determination-for-SEA-under-SEA-Directive-2001-42-EC-(Dublin-Noise-Action-Plan)_Signed

NOISE MAPS LISTS HERE: