Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

At the clean air conference in Dublin yesterday, I announced I intend to extend the health and environmental benefits of the ban on smoky coal in place in our cities and large towns to the entire country. It was brought in 25 years ago and, parking the politics, I thought it was innovative legislative action by the Minister at the time. It is now appropriate it is extended to other areas.

The benefits of the scheme include significant reductions in respiratory problems and mortalities from the effects of burning smoky coal. Approximately 8,000 lives have been saved in Dublin since the introduction of the smoky coal ban back in 1990. Further health, environmental and economic benefits, estimated at €53 million per year, will be realised if the ban is extended nationwide. Hundreds of lives will be saved by this action.

The success of the introduction of the ban in Dublin in 1990, as well as its subsequent extension to Cork, Limerick and Galway, has resulted in the perverse anomaly whereby air quality in some provincial towns and villages during the winter is of a vastly poorer quality than in our larger urban areas and towns. Recent research by University College Cork highlighted that air pollution in Killarney can be ten times higher during the night than throughout the day. During the winter, young people playing sports in many large towns are exposed to carcinogens in the air at higher multiples to what is acceptable. This cannot continue.

The original ban in Dublin has been cited widely as a successful policy intervention and has become a best practice icon in the international clean air community. This view was reiterated at yesterday’s conference by several visiting delegates, including those from the World Health Organization, WHO. Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce a nationwide smoking ban ten years ago. We are showing similar leadership in clean air policy.

I have instructed my Department to commence the process that will see the benefits of the smoky coal ban extended nationwide. This process involves consultation with the EU, our colleagues across government, residential fuel market operators and the general public. I am encouraged by the industry’s acknowledgement of the need to improve our air quality and its plans to adapt current practices, as well as investing in cleaner, lower-smoke fuels. Deputy Stanley is correct that this presents many opportunities for Bord na Móna and others involved in the industry. Many of them are already investing in alternative fuel technologies. The Government is encouraging them to do more in this regard.

I hope these consultations will be completed in time to have the necessary provisions in place for the heating season in 2016. However, I accept this is an ambitious timeline and may stretch into the following year. The extension of the smoky coal ban is one of several initiatives my Department is examining as part of a programme to produce the first ever national clean air strategy. This strategy will provide the strategic framework for a set of cross-government policies and actions to reduce harmful emissions, as well as improving air quality and public health to meet current and future EU and international obligations. My Department will shortly issue a consultation document as a first step in this process.

I thank Deputies across the House welcoming the initiative yesterday.

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