Air and Noise Quality Management
Noise Pollution
Complaints concerning incidents of noise nuisance are investigated on behalf of the Council by Environmental Health Officers (EHOs). These complaints mainly relate to complaints about commercial enterprises operating within Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s functional area.
Noise from Construction Works
While there are no set times in law limiting the working hours on building sites, there are guideline standard times that apply to construction activity. If work takes place outside of these hours, it can then be regarded as a source of noise nuisance and investigated by the Council’s EHOs. Site development and building works in Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown are restricted to:
- Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturdays: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Sundays & Public Holidays: Works not allowed.
However, please note that these are guideline times only, and in certain circumstances it may be necessary for building works to take place outside of these hours. In addition, these guideline times do not apply to any kind of emergency works carried out by the ESB, Bord Gais, Iarnród Eireann etc. Construction working hours on a particular development may also be regulated by way of a condition attached to the planning permission and breaches in these cases are enforced by the Planning Enforcement Section of the Council. Contact Planning Enforcement at planningenforcement@dlrcoco.ie.
Environmental Noise
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council operate a network of eight noise monitors, which were commissioned in September 2026. The monitors were placed in areas identified in the round 4 Noise Action Plan as Priority Important Areas, which are areas where there is a large population affected by high levels of environmental noise.This monitoring network will provide real-time access to information on all sound levels which people are being exposed to at the vicinity of the monitoring locations.
The data can be viewed at dlrcoco.sonitussystems.com