The Residential Noise Insulation Scheme (RNIS) was introduced as part of the 2007 North Runway Planning Permission to mitigate the noise impacts of the North Runway. It is designed to improve the sound insulation performance of eligible dwellings in the direct vicinity of the airport. A reduction in indoor noise levels in the range of 5 to 10 decibels is targeted through the provision of insulation upgrades. A 10-decibel reduction in sound is typically perceived by most people as a halving of the loudness.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for the RNIS, your home must be located within the designated noise contour. This is a threshold for noise mitigation measures also used at UK airports and the same threshold is stipulated under Condition 7 of the North Runway Planning Permission:
Condition 7:
“Prior to commencement of development, a scheme for the voluntary noise insulation of existing dwellings shall be submitted to and agreed in writing by the planning authority. The scheme shall include all dwellings predicated to fall within the contour of 63 dB LAeq 16 hours within 12 months of the planned opening of the runway for use. The scheme shall include for a review every two years of the dwelling eligible for insulation. Reason: In the interest of residential amenity”
It is important to note that only homes approved for construction before December 2020 are eligible for this scheme, as homes built after that date are required to incorporate enhanced insulation under the planning and building regulations.
All eligible homeowners have been contacted. If you'd like to check your property's eligibility, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Upgrades and Measures Delivered
Dublin Airport is responsible for delivering the RNIS. Expert acousticians and installers carefully assess the existing building envelope to determine the specific needs of each property to enhance its sound performance. Insulation measures delivered may include:
- Replacement of external windows and doors of habitable rooms to improve sound insulation.
- Installation of acoustic vents that allow ventilation while reducing noise levels.
- Installation of chimney caps and dampers to minimise noise entering through chimneys.
- Installation of attic and roof insulation to further enhance overall soundproofing.
Progress and Review
Since Dublin Airport initiated the scheme in 2017, we have offered insulation to c. 65% more homes than we are conditioned to do under the Condition 7 of North Runway’s planning permission. We have done this by taking account of South Runway operations and forecasted modelling of the 63dB LAeq contour.
| Total number of homes offered insulation | 227 |
| Total number insulated to date (September 2024) | 170 |
The scheme is subject to review every two years as stipulated in Conditions 7 and 10 of the North Runway Planning Permission. The first review was completed in 2024, based on the airport’s summer operation in 2023 Any newly identified homes that now fall within the updated noise contours have been contacted directly by Dublin Airport. The next review will take place in 2026.
How to Opt-in
To check if your home is eligible, please use the eligibility checker linked above. If your home is shown as eligible, kindly fill out the form below. Be sure to include your full address and Eircode in the ‘Message’ field.
Frequently asked questions:
Noise contours are lines drawn on a map to show areas that experience similar noise levels, similar to how contour lines on a map show areas of equal elevation.
These contours are useful for understanding how much noise communities around an airport are exposed to, especially from aircraft. By looking at these contours, airport authorities can assess which areas are most affected by noise and offer solutions like soundproofing for homes.
Dublin Airport works with third party acoustic experts to generate noise contours. They are calculated using computer models that take into account all aircraft activity at an airport, including details such as:
- Runway locations
- Aircraft movements (type of aircraft, number of flights, time of day)
- Arrival and departure routes, as well as destinations (to account for fuel load)
-- Distribution of aircraft movements across runways and flight paths
- Data from Noise Monitoring Terminals
For more information on Noise Contours, click here.
Conditions 7 and 10 of the North Runway Planning Permission require a review of the noise insulation schemes every two years. This biennial review involves a progress report on the scheme and a reassessment of the scheme’s boundary. The original boundary was based on forecasted noise contours (before the North Runway became operational). The review now takes into account actual operations and noise levels with the runway in use.
Data from the Noise and Flight Track Monitoring system is used to validate the noise contour modelling and inform decisions about mitigation measures.
The review may lead to an expansion or contraction of noise contours, which can affect eligibility for the noise insulation scheme. If the contours expand, newly eligible homes will be invited to participate in the scheme.
It’s important to note that only homes approved for construction before December 2020 are eligible for the scheme, as homes built after this date were required to include enhanced insulation under planning and building regulations.
The latest review took place in August 2024 and incorporated the operational noise contours for the summer of 2023.
