A FATHER estimates he has lodged more than 1,000 complaints with Dublin Airport over noise levels, which he claims are exceeding European health recommendations.

Liam O’Gradaigh, from the Ward Cross, north county Dublin, said he recently submitted his huge tranche of complaints, which he has backdated since March.

Another person living nearby has filed a staggering 3,147 complaints between January and June of this year.

Speaking with the Irish Mail on Sunday, Mr O’Gradaigh claimed he has been forced to log complaints as he has considerable concerns for the welfare of his family.

He told the MoS that he only started making complaints in late June, even though he has lived in the area for nearly 40 years.

‘I would have made the odd one over the phone in previous years but I’ve been more structured since June. If I’m woken up at 5.30am, I log every flight that’s keeping me awake until 7.39. DAA [Dublin Airport Authority] has largely ignored my complaints, usually it’s just an automated email.’ Mr O’Gradaigh does not qualify for payments from the DAA to insulate his house, as he lives outside the radius set out by the authority.

He said: ‘The DAA has told me my house is 100m outside the area to qualify for insulation.

‘Absolutely, I would take it [insulation]. As it stands I’m going to have to insulate the house myself. The DAA said it would re-evaluate [the inclusion radius] after two years of the runway being operational.’ Other members of the community are intending to make complaints, according to Mr O’Gradaigh, but there is concern over the airport’s reporting system.

‘People are getting educated to the real effects on their health and they are starting to complain. Most people you speak to don’t know how to log a complaint and that’s something we’re trying to help with.’ Mr O’Gradaigh has cited a World Health Organisation report on environmental noise guidelines, which outlines safe levels of exposure to noise during the daytime and at night.

Noise above these levels leads to adverse health effects such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and cognitive impairment in children.

A spokesperson for the DAA told the MoS: ‘We appreciate that some dwellings are impacted by noise from our current operations and the new North Runway, and we have taken steps to address this issue though mitigation.

‘More than 200 local houses are eligible for free insulation, which is three times more than required by planning conditions.’ claire.scott@mailonsunday.ie

‘We have taken steps to address this issue’