Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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211. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress on a multiagency enforcement programme on solid fuel use as a home heating source; if his attention has been drawn to imports of German coal to the Irish market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26131/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government includes a commitment to develop a multi-agency approach to clamping down on the sale of high-sulphur content fuel imported from the UK, with Local Authorities and the Revenue Commissioners involved. Given the links between burning of solid fuels and the health effects of air pollution, as well as the potential for market distortion for businesses properly adhering to the regulations, increased multi-agency inspections and enforcement, including the use of fixed payment notices, are required.

My Department has commenced discussions with the County and City Management Association, and other key stakeholders, with a view to developing a regional approach to air quality enforcement, in order to facilitate increased multi-agency operations. In order to progress these discussions further, I am establishing an Air Enforcement Working Group to include the various regulatory stakeholders, experienced Local Authority enforcement practitioners and representatives from existing shared service offices. The purpose of this Group is to determine the most effective enforcement approach, and to make their recommendations to my Department within the next six months.

With respect to imports of solid fuels for domestic burning, such imports are permitted under European Union trade agreements, and there is no impediment to the sale or use of such fuels provided their standards comply with the relevant regulations. It should be noted that my Department recently undertook a public consultation on the development of new legislation to regulate to a broader extent the use of solid fuels in the residential sector and prohibit the sale of the most polluting fuels.

My Department received more than 3,500 responses to the technical consultation and, once these submissions have been considered, it is my intention to publish a new, legally robust, and evidence-based framework for how we regulate all solid fuels in the near future.