Press Release: Environment  17 August 2006

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18 August 2006

Green Party publishes Bill to tackle noise pollution

Click here to read Neighbourhood Noise Bill 2006

The Green Party today launched its Neighbourhood Noise Bill to tackle loud noise coming from building work, car alarms, and barking dogs. The bill will go before the Dáil in the autumn and seeks to simplify and enhance the systems that protect people from forms of noise pollution inadequately tackled by current laws. Existing legislation deals with only certain types of environmental noise, and involves a range of bodies as well as the courts. The Green Party's Bill will establish a one-stop-shop for noise complaints and give local authorities real powers to stop noise pollution at source. 

Speaking at a press conference to launch the bill in Buswell's Hotel in Dublin today, Green Party Environment spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD said: "All of us have experienced problems with neighbourhood noise at some point in our lives yet noise hasn’t received the same attention as other forms of pollution. The current system for dealing with the issue isn’t working. The law is inadequate and the system is confusing for people wishing to make complaints. 

"Under existing rules different agencies are responsible for dealing with noise from different sources. Barking dogs are dealt with by local authority dog control officers; loud music by Health Board's environmental health officers, while the Irish Aviation Authority is responsible for noise from low-flying helicopters. In practice none of these agencies are good at moving quickly, and people are forced to go to the district court in a process that can drag on for weeks or months. The current system is confusing and frustrating for the public. 

"Noise control officers will be employed by local authorities to take immediate action once a complaint has been received. They will have the powers to take action 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The bill would be largely financed by revenue generated from fines. It provides a clear and effective remedy for noise from building alarms, car alarms, helicopters, noisy neighbours, barking dogs and outdoor events. If necessary the noise control officers can arrange for a car with a constantly sounding alarm to be towed, a house alarm to be removed, or a sound system form a noisy party to be taken away." 

Green Party Leader Trevor Sargent TD added: "Excessive noise can be disruptive, annoying and stressful. Noise pollution, including excessive neighbourhood noise, can affect individuals’ health and children’s learning ability. We want to ensure a high quality of life for all so we need to treat neighbourhood noise as pollution and take effective measures to deal with it. This bill will provide the means to achieve this."

"In addition to the measures outlined in this bill, which deal with micro-level noise pollution, the Green Party intends to tighten up regulations to reduce noise pollution on a macro level. This involves amending building regulations to improve insulation requirements. As well as saving energy this would decrease noise pollution and is therefore a win-win situation. Existing rules on noise pollution from big transport projects are also inadequate. They require local authorities and state bodies to draw up noise maps and agree action plans, but do not provide meaningful timetables or incentives to achieve this. The Green Party would set tight timetables, provide resources and introduce sanctions for deadline breakers."

Green Party Councillor David Healy and General Election candidate for Dublin North East concluded: "The World Health Organisation’s guidelines on noise show that noise is not simply a nuisance but has significant effects on human health, stress levels, memory, learning, attention and mood. At present, people are often left suffering from neighbourhood noise for a considerable amount of time. If this bill was implemented it would make it a lot easier and less stressful for those affected by noise to have their complaint dealt with. Noise control officers would act as a focal point for people with noise complaints and take action, leading to quieter communities which would be much more pleasant to live in.  We must change awareness to recognise that noise is a major problem. Our local authorities must take it seriously and this bill is part of that process."

Measures introduced in the Noise Bill 2006:

• Noise control officers attached to local authorities would be a central point of contact for all forms of neighbourhood noise complaints.
• Noise pollution complaints would be dealt with on a 24-7 basis.
• A simple system involving noise level testing, serving of warning notice and fixed penalty notices would be administered by local authority noise control officers.
• Car alarm activation periods would be reduced. Cars with alarms exceeding new time restrictions would be towed.
• External intruder alarm activation periods would be reduced.
• All external intruder alarms would be registered with monitoring body and registered with district noise control officers.
• Activated unregistered external intruder alarms could be removed by noise control officers.
• Helicopter noise would be dealt with by noise control officers in conjunction with the Irish Aviation Authority. A system of warning notices and fixed penalty notices would operate.