THERE HAS BEEN a substantial rise in the number of people exposed to excessive overnight aircraft noise near Dublin Airport in the last five years, Fingal County Council has said.

According to the council’s Noise Action Plan for Dublin Airport, the number of people exposed to noise above 55 decibels (dB) between 11pm and 7am almost tripled from 1,533 in 2019 to 4,465 last year.

The Noise Action Plan, which highlights the problematic aspects of aircraft noise exposure at the airport as well identifying areas for improvement, states that night-time noise exposure remains a concern for residents living near Dublin Airport.

Fingal County Council’s Noise Action Plan also shows an increase in the number of people exposed during “day-evening-night” periods above 65dB, rising by 285 in 2019 to 323 in 2023.

The World Health Organisation warns that aircraft noise above 45dB is associated with adverse health effects, including impact on sleep.

The Noise Action Plan calls for the implementation of several noise mitigation measures in Dublin Airport, including promoting the use of quieter aircraft, preferential runway use to avoid more populated residential areas and a reduction in the number of overnight flights.

The issue of noise around the State’s main airport, particularly at night, has deepened tensions between local residents and DAA, which manages the facility.

According to a Dublin Airport report on noise complaints, a total of 7,912 complaints were submitted by 182 individuals in October. An average of 241 people have issued noise complaints every month since January.

Despite the significant number of complaints and growing numbers affected by noise exposure, significant reductions were recorded by Fingal County Council in the number of people categorised as “highly annoyed” and “highly sleep disturbed” in 2023 compared to 2019.

47,045 people reported being “highly sleep disturbed” in 2019, while 32,562 reported the same last year.

Speaking to The Journal, a daa spokesperson said the authority is “very aware” that airport operations have an impact on local communities, and said the authority “works hard to minimise this”.

“DAA’s job is to operate a major international airport and ensure Ireland has the connectivity it needs with the world. A balance has to be struck between this and the needs of those living close to the airport,” the daa spokesperson said.

“That’s always going to be difficult, but DAA is constantly working to minimise the impact and listen to community feedback.”

The DAA also welcomed the noted reduction in people categorised as “highly annoyed” and “highly sleep disturbed” adding that there is “further progress to be made in some categories where the number of people impacted has increased”.

“However, this is almost entirely attributed to population growth in overflown areas during this time. Also, new houses built in these areas are required to include insulation measures, which the review doesn’t take account of”.

The report also notes that some mitigation measures proposed by daa and approved by the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority in 2022 have not been implemented yet due to an appeal to the planning authorities.

The DAA spokesperson said it is is eager to progress with these measures, including providing insulation to more than 600 eligible homes as soon as there is an outcome from the ABP process (known as the North Runway Relevant Action).