Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am very conscious of this issue. Deputy Browne's colleague, Deputy Dooley, raised it earlier and I went through it at that time. The Deputy probably appreciates that, while my predecessors announced that it was their intention to introduce a nationwide ban, this was challenged on the grounds that it would not be fair to treat the burning of smoky coal differently from the burning of peat and wood as their environmental impact is similar. There have been threats not only to challenge the extension of the ban but to challenge the existing bans applying in considerable portions of the country, which have been very successful.

I have had to seek legal advice on how we would robustly design the roll-out of the protections the Deputy rightly signalled are a priority for Enniscorthy and other towns. I am working with the Attorney General to develop a robust way of doing that.

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