Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Tá mé cinnte go mbeidh spéis ag an Leas-Cheann Comhairle san ábhar seo. Go minic, bíonn muid ag tabhairt faoin taobh mícheart d’fhadhbanna. Seachas mealladh a thabhairt do dhaoine, leagaimid an dlí anuas ar dhaoine nach bhfuil mórán rogha acu.

The recent controversy about smoky coal, fuel and turf has focused almost totally on the distribution and sale of these fuels. The question that does not seem to have been asked, however, is who are the people who predominantly buy these fuels and why do they do it? I would like to focus in particular on a section for which the Minister of State is directly responsible, namely, local authority houses that are fuelled by solid fuel. It is fair to say many people have a stove in their house they use occasionally but have some other main source of fuel for cooking, heating water and heating the house. My experience, however, is that many local authority houses are mainly dependant on solid fuel ranges and solid fuel for heating the house and heating water. In that case, of course, people must keep the solid fuel burner going all day.

Although I cannot get the figures because no one will provide me with them, at least in my experience of dealing with my constituents, it seems a totally disproportionate number of the people in my constituency who are dependent on solid fuel as their main source of heating and cooking live in local authority houses. That is true in Galway city as much as it is true in Galway county. We cannot blame these people for buying turf, the fuel they are familiar with. There is also the issue of the cost of smokeless fuel. In any event, all those fuels produce emissions.

I suggest, and I hope I get a positive answer, that the Department find out from each local authority how many houses in its stock are dependent on solid fuel as their primary source of energy. Without that information, the Department cannot solve the problem. Having found that out, it should begin an urgent programme that would be completed within five years, allowing for the difficulties in procurement and so on, that would replace all these homes with sustainable systems and not only deal with the emissions issue of smoke but also that of carbon.

I have to say, I was disappointed when I tabled a parliamentary question in the House to get a reply stating the Department did not know, and not even indicating it would find out. Perhaps we could have a two-step programme to find out how many houses the issue relates to and then to resolve the issue. Instead of punishing people, we should assist people who are in fuel poverty.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State was given a pre-prepared answer and it is the same cut-and-paste I got when I put down the parliamentary question. It does not address my first question, that is, whether we are going to ascertain how many houses in local authority ownership are fuelled mainly by solid fuel. It is a "Yes" or "No" question.

On the second issue, the Minister of State said, "Their homes will be warmer, easier to heat and more comfortable, it will enhance the air quality in the home, and those currently using oil or gas will see a significant saving on their energy bills". The question I asked related specifically to solid fuel because the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications keeps telling us that 1,300 people die every year because of particulate matter pollution, which is not caused, according to him, by oil and we know it is not caused by gas. We know those forms of energy produce carbon-based emissions but they do not have particulate problems. On the one hand, that Minister is telling us we are killing people while, on the other hand, the other side of the Government will not even find out how great a cause of pollution it is and the extent to which it contributes to the problem by insisting on not changing as a priority houses that are fuelled by solid fuel to using a much more sustainable form of heating. That seems to show a total lack of joined-up government in respect of the matter.

My questions are quite simple. Is it intended to find out how many local authority houses are fuelled mainly by solid fuel? Second, is it intended to have a special programme focused on changing the fuel source in those houses to something more sustainable? They are the two big issues. It is my observation that the vast majority of houses in Galway city that face this problem are either local authority houses or, in a smaller number of cases, private houses owned by people who are not well off and are very disadvantaged. It is time------

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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-----that the State put its money where its mouth was.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle ach tá mé cinnte go bhfuil sé seo chomh gar dá croí is atá sé do mo chroí agus go dtacóidh sí go hiomlán liom.