Traffic fumes and chimney smoke continue to pollute Ireland’s air despite moves towards cleaner motoring and heating.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the number of premature deaths attributed to poor air quality also remained high, at 1,700 per year.

The agency said while monitoring at 115 sites showed all met legal air quality standards last year, there were places and times when those standards were close to being breached.

It also warned that current air quality levels were not good enough to comply with more stringent standards that will apply from 2030.

A quarter of monitoring sites would fail the 2030 standards on levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a gas emitted from petrol and diesel vehicles that builds up in high concentrations in urban centres.

Around 7 per cent of sites would fail on particulate matter (PM2.5), tiny particles of soot, dust and dirt that mainly come from burning solid fuels.

PM2.5 is also prevalent in cities and towns but so too are rural areas not connected to the gas network.

Both pollutants lodge in the lungs, causing problems from mild irritation to chronic and acute lung disease.

Air pollution also contributes to heart conditions, dementia, neonatal mortality and type 2 diabetes.

Vulnerable groups, including children and older adults, and those with underlying conditions such as asthma, are particularly at risk.

The EPA said a decisive shift away from solid fuel heating and fossil fuel transport was needed.

“Many of us have grown up with the comfort of an open fire and limited alternatives to travelling by car – but these familiar habits contribute to poor air quality,” said Pat Byrne, the EPA’s director of environmental monitoring.

“Supporting people to shift towards cleaner heating and more sustainable travel isn’t about giving something up – it’s about gaining healthier air and healthier lives.”

The Health Service Executive has announced that the chickenpox vaccine will be made available free of charge for all babies born on or after 1 October last year.

The vaccine will be available once a child turns 12 months of age as part of the routine childhood immunisation schedule offered by GPs.

Previously, parents or guardians had to pay for the vaccine.

Dr Ciara Martin, a consultant in Emergency Medicine, welcomed the announcement as a “great celebration”.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, she said they had been “waiting a while” for this to come in.

She said that although chickenpox can be a mild disease, there are a number of complications associated with it, including skin infections and viral pneumonia, and in rare cases it can affect the nerves and brain.

She said there have been a number of changes to the vaccination schedule and this was seen as a good time to add the chickenpox vaccine.

“It was felt that this is a good time to start it now, when we’re just settling into a new schedule of vaccinations that will continue for the next five or six years,” she said.

“It’s been a little slow to come through, that is true, but I think that the focus is that we have it now … it’s a safe vaccine. It certainly has been available for a number of years.”

Dr Martin said the current uptake of childhood vaccines is around 85-90%, which she said is “a little concerning” because it should be around 95% for herd immunity to be achieved.

Dr Chantal Migone, a consultant in Public Health Medicine at the HSE National Immunisation Office, said she was “delighted” that the vaccine would now be part of the routine schedule.

“While chickenpox is often seen as a mild illness, it can sometimes cause serious complications needing hospitalisation in children,” she said.

“Vaccination at 12 months gives babies important protection against chickenpox and also helps protect the wider community”.

Dr Patrick Kelly from the Irish College of GPs advised parents to contact their GP as soon as possible if their child is approaching one year old.

“Getting vaccines on time, every time is the best way to protect your child,” he said.

“Your GP and GP practice nurse can answer any questions you have and make sure your baby gets everything they need at the right visit.”

The HSE has reminded parents to keep babies on schedule with all recommended vaccines at two, four, six, 12 and 13 months.

Parents are also reminded to bring their baby’s blue immunisation passport to each appointment.