Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to respond to some of the issues raised in the debate. I am acutely aware of recent increases in energy costs due to increases internationally and, more recently, the crisis in Ukraine. The purpose of new solid fuel regulations is to ensure better quality and more efficient fuels will be available on the market. Low smoke ovoids are a suitable cost-efficient alternative to other types of high polluting coal, peat and wood logs in terms of heat delivered per cent cost.

Given recent research which highlights a greater dependence on solid fuels by those in energy poverty, the risk of long-term exposure to poor air quality indoor and outdoor for those in more disadvantaged socioeconomic groups and the impact of short-term high-level air pollution events, it is appropriate to consider the link between increased risk of excess winter mortality among those in energy poverty living in areas with high dependency on solid fuels. As such, the case for further regulation of solid fuels is clear. To improve the health of citizens, we must continue the transition away from the use of solid fuels for residential burning.

There will be a targeted focus on the people these regulations impact most. There are people on low incomes who have traditionally purchased turf because it is cheaper. They are the people who are at most risk of fuel poverty, on whom we will focus our retrofit activity and where we will focus our social welfare supports. The transition to low smoke fuels from higher polluting fuels should not be difficult for customers, given the wide range of alternative low smoke fuels available on the market which are now at a comparable price to traditional fuels and do not require any appliance change.

Information provided by the SEAI in the most recent domestic fuels comparison of energy costs demonstrate that low smoke coal is a suitably cost-effective lower emission choice of coal in terms of heat delivered per cent. This indicates that if a household in fuel poverty switches to a lower smoke product, there should not be an undue financial burden. The Government also has a range of measures in place, including but not limited to the fuel allowance, to address the impact on consumers of energy costs. These measures include budget 2022, which increased the weekly rate of the fuel allowance by €5 to €33 per week, so that €914 was paid to eligible householders over the course of the winter. An additional lump sum payment of €125 was paid in mid-March 2022 to the 370,000 households receiving the fuel allowance.

Following the enactment of legislation in early March, from the beginning of April all residential electricity customers will see the electricity costs emergency benefits payment of €200, including VAT, credited to their accounts. The national retrofit scheme includes specific measures to support householders in taking action to reduce their energy bills, including up to 80% grant funding for low-cost, high-impact measures such as attic insulation.

A range of additional measures will be introduced. They will include VAT being reduced from 13.5% to 9% on gas and electricity bills from the start of May until the end of October; an additional payment of €100 to be made to all recipients of the fuel allowance; a reduction in the public service obligation levy to zero by October 2022; a targeted package of measures to enhance protections for financially vulnerable customers and customers in debt; supporting existing customers in accessing a competitive rate for their energy; and a scheme for the installation of photovoltaic panels for vulnerable customers and householders, with a budget of €20 million.

I made the point earlier in the debate that I do not believe people in rural Ireland are burning wet sod peat, which would be a highly inefficient and uncomfortable process. It is the emission factors, rather than the moisture content, of burning sod peat which is the primary concern in any event. The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, research report, Emission Factors from Domestic-scale Solid-fuel Appliances, points to the fact that, of all the solid fuels tested, including bituminous coal, sod peat produces by far the highest level of particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions per unit energy loaded and produced by far the highest level of emissions per unit heat delivered. This demonstrates what we already know and what other EPA research points to, namely, that the contribution of peat to fine particulate matter levels can be considerable, in particular in areas such as the midlands where peat extraction occurs.

Sod peat is comparatively low in energy, is not convenient to handle and leaves significant ash residues. While it is primarily a rural fuel, there is increasing evidence indicating that sod peat is being used in urban settings where it has a greater impact on air quality than in rural areas. That is why measures are required to reduce the emissions associated with burning peat but which respect the traditional practice of harvesting turf. To reiterate, the final regulations will not prohibit the owner of a turbary or a customary right, or a person entitled to sod peat harvested for distribution in accordance with the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, from using or sharing sod peat. However, we cannot encourage its use outside of rural areas where it does the most harm by introducing standards which will make no appreciable difference to the adverse effects of burning sod peat in more urban areas.

That would be a retrograde step, especially at a time when we are seeking to increase our ambition. Clean air is central to supporting life in all its forms and the environment on which we all depend. It is synonymous with well-being. Clean air and a healthy environment are also prerequisites for attracting inward investments and sustainable jobs. Clean air benefits our habitats and wildlife and contributes to the best possible environment in which we, as a society, can live, work, grow up and grow old.

We now have an opportunity to take a landmark leap in improving Ireland's air quality by taking the final step in removing dirty coal from our marketplace through the introduction of enhanced standards across the range of other fuels and a sensible and balanced approach to restricting the use of sod peat in urban areas while preserving traditional and local practices. These measures are required to improve air quality and protect public health. To reiterate, some 1,300 people are dying prematurely in Ireland due to air pollution from solid fuel burning and there are more than 16,200 life years lost as a result. Thousands more experience a poor quality of life due to the associated short- and long-term health impacts of this form of pollution. New regulations are a critical element of addressing this public health and environmental crisis and they will serve to improve the quality of the air we breathe and the health of the public we serve.

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