Dublin Airport noise pollution affecting residents' health

Dublin Airport is experiencing a decline in passenger numbers for St. Patrick's celebrations, with an expected 600,000 arrivals, down from over 610,000 last year. The airport operator, DAA, attributes this drop to a passenger cap of 32 million. Residents near the airport are raising concerns about noise pollution from flights, particularly from the new North Runway, which opened in 2022. Changes to flight paths have affected 30,000 residents, leading to health issues due to increased noise levels. Fingal County Council is unable to approve an increase in passenger capacity without noise impact data from DAA, which has been delayed for over a year. Local authorities are calling for an independent investigation into the situation and adherence to planning conditions.