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

The Deputy is wrong to suggest there are no subsidies to encourage people to move away from fossil fuels. There are substantial subsidies for the move to electric vehicles, insulation, the upgrading of homes, the fitting of heat pumps and other measures that would substantially reduce reliance on fossil fuel. The subsidies are in place and have been substantially expanded in the budget.

The issue for any Minister is that when one gets legal advice that a proposition made by one's predecessors, as is the case, could bring down the ban on smoky coal that prevails in 26 major urban areas, including Dublin, one has to tread carefully. It would serve no one's interest for the existing ban in Dublin and the other 25 areas to fall under a legal challenge. I have to proceed, therefore, in a way that I can be confident I can enforce the change and not undermine the existing law.

In the context of the previous question, the issue is that the ban in place does not extend to peat and wet wood. They, too, are substantial causes of pollution.

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