Dublin Airport Authority's Neighbourliness Extends To Insulating Nearby Homes

The operator of Dublin Airport, daa will proceed with a new sound insulation grant scheme for up to 400 eligible homes.

daa will contact eligible homeowners in the coming weeks with further details of how to avail of the grant, which has been increased by 50% to €30,000 per home.

Local residents can learn more about the scheme and check their eligibility on the Dublin Airport website.

daa first proposed insulating these homes as part of the North Runway Relevant Action (NRRA) planning application lodged in 2020.

This sought to amend highly restrictive conditions imposed as part of the planning permission for North Runway granted in 2007.

However, due to an appeal to An Bord Pleanála (ABP) which has still not reached a final outcome, daa’s proposals did not come into effect. This has prevented efficient utilisation of this vital national infrastructure and delayed the roll out of this tranche of insulation to the eligible homes.

With more than four years having passed since daa first proposed insulating these homes, daa has decided to voluntarily proceed with the scheme in advance of ABP’s decision. In addition, in recognition of the increase in construction and insulation costs since 2020, daa is increasing the grant amount by 50% from €20,000 to €30,000. This grant will cover sound insulation upgrades including acoustic double glazing, acoustic vents, attic insulation and chimney capping, as relevant. A reduction of at least five decibels in internal noise levels can be achieved through the implementation of these improvements.

Commenting, daa CEO Kenny Jacobs said: “daa’s job is to operate a major international airport and ensure Ireland has the connectivity it needs with the world, while also being a good neighbour to the communities impacted by operations at the airport. We delivered the North Runway in August 2022, but we are still waiting on a final decision on the insulation measures we first proposed more than four years ago. 

“We know from our ongoing engagement with communities impacted by airport operations that sound insulation makes a real difference to people’s quality of life, and we want to get on with this scheme. We hope that today’s announcement is a welcome addition to the wide set of mitigation measures we offer to minimise the impact of airport operations on our neighbours.”

The new scheme will benefit eligible homeowners in areas that experience 55L_night noise but have not previously benefited from Dublin Airport’s existing insulation schemes. This will include parts of Portmarnock in the east to Bay in the west, and Coolquay, Coolrath and Kilcoskan in the northwest.  It is important to note that all new homes within the airport noise zones which received planning permission after 2005 are not eligible for the scheme, as the incorporation of enhanced noise insulation has been a standard requirement of planning policy since the Fingal Development Plan 2005.

Noise mitigation at Dublin Airport 

daa takes noise seriously and offers a comprehensive suite of noise mitigation measures. These are kept under constant review. The associated ‘noise eligibility contours’ are reviewed and updated on a biennial basis and relevant measures are offered to all households that become eligible as part of that process.

Key measures include:

• Over €18 million spent to date on insulation and purchasing eligible local homes. Almost 230 local residences most affected are eligible for insulation schemes, with insulation delivered to 180 homes to date.
• A voluntary buy-out option has been offered to 41 homeowners in the vicinity of the airport, which offers 30% premium on current market value, in addition to generous allowances for stamp duty, conveyancing and moving costs. Six purchases have been completed so far, with a further 14 in the process.
• Insulation works have been completed at three local schools, with works commencing in Q1 2025 at a further two schools.
• To help monitor aircraft noise, 25 fixed noise monitors and two mobile monitors have been installed at locations throughout counties Dublin, Meath and Wicklow. These monitors help Dublin Airport to monitor aircraft noise in communities and understand the impact.
• Noise levels at each of these monitors can be viewed on Dublin Airport’s WebTrak. Dublin Airport also publishes monthly and quarterly Airport Noise Plans & Reports | Dublin Airport.
• daa also visits affected people in the community to hear their feedback directly and meets regularly with community groups.  Our Community Engagement team conducted more than 120 home and school visits during 2024. There were also 11 meetings in 2024 of the independently chaired Community Liaison and Environmental Working Groups.
• daa also seeks to reduce noise levels through penalising older, noisier planes that use Dublin Airport and through aircraft operating procedures that reduce noise levels.