A report commissioned to estimate the health costs associated with aircraft noise at Dublin Airport says that it causes cardiovascular issues for some 16,746 people in the vicinity – and that the total health impact cost due to exposure to aircraft noise is €772 million.
The report, published today by PMCA Economic Consulting, was commissioned by St. Margarets The Ward Residents Group, a volunteer group of local community members living in Counties Fingal and Meath in the vicinity of Dublin Airport.
“A significant consequence of people living close to Dublin Airport in Counties Fingal and Meath is the noise impact of aircraft flying into and out of the airport,” it says. “Many more people are highly annoyed and highly sleep-disturbed.”
The report points out that Dublin Airport is the largest passenger aircraft hub in the State – and that while just 28% of Ireland’s population live in Dublin, the Airport’s share of all passengers at the main airports in Ireland (comprising the airports at Cork, Kerry, Knock and Shannon as well as Dublin Airport) averaged 85% during 2012-2023.
That gives Dublin Airport a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index in excess of 7,000 in recent years, the report says – where a HHI greater than or equal to 1,800-2,000 indicates high concentration in the practice of Irish and European competition law/policy.
It says that Tourism is a major economic sector in Ireland and it is critical that competition is effective among the airports in the country.
“A significant consequence of people living close to Dublin Airport in Counties Fingal and Meath is the noise impact of aircraft flying into and out of the airport. Many more people are highly annoyed and highly sleep disturbed due to aircraft noise at Dublin Airport,” the report said.
It pointed to a report published in 2024 by the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority which observed that 71,388 and 32,562 people were highly annoyed and highly sleep disturbed respectively in 2023 – and claims that those totals can be added to “an estimated 16,746 people affected by cardiovascular issues, which together translate into a total of 120,696 people affected with health issues, the total health cost of which is estimated at €772,083,948”.
While the researchers acknowledged that the number of people with cardiovascular impacts due to exposure to aircraft noise at Dublin Airport are not known, it uses a Envisa study regarding Brussels Airport, in which the number of people experiencing cardiovascular impacts (53,000) accounted for 16.1% of the number of people both highly annoyed and highly sleep disturbed (329,000).
“Applying this proportion to the number of people both highly annoyed and highly sleep disturbed due to aircraft noise at Dublin Airport implies the estimate of 16,746 people with cardiovascular impacts due to aircraft noise at Dublin Airport, ” it says.
The Envisa study is also uses to estimate the cost of DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) from these impacts at €772,083,948 as the estimated “total health impact cost due to exposure to aircraft noise at Dublin Airport”.
Residents say that the noise of the aircraft, especially with the addition of a new runway, is difficult to live with. The Dublin Airport Authority says it is investing millions in informing communities and insulating homes affected.