David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

Will the Leader write to the EPA? The weather is very good and the winter is gone but we should get a report on the 23 smokeless zones in the country that local authorities are asked by the EPA to enforce. What enforcement is taking place? I have had reports about three new areas in certain towns that have been included but there is no enforcement. In other areas that are in smokeless zones, registered, hard-working, local fuel merchants are called to by the council to have their registers inspected while fly by night fuel merchants are going into estates to sell bituminous coal to people at a cheaper rate and putting the local merchants out of business. It is time the EPA reported to this House on the enforcement of smokeless coal zones.

Senator Wilson mentioned the household charge. I remind him it is part of the agreement his Government and party signed with the troika.