Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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179. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount of dedicated funding that will be provided to each local authority to monitor and enforce the smoky coal ban and any future solid fuel regulations as part of the forthcoming Clean Air Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24266/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Local Authorities are, and will continue to be, responsible for the enforcement of solid fuel regulations. The new enhanced solid fuel regulations are being drafted so that Local Authorities have sufficient powers to ensure effective compliance within their functional areas.

The Programme for Government also includes a commitment to develop a regional approach to air quality enforcement. Officials from my Department and the Local Government Management Agency are now working together on a full assessment of the current state of the sector and scoping out the resource requirements to ensure the most appropriate and cost-effective enforcement structure is put in place.

This structure will be established to support the provision of enhanced co-ordination, expertise and advice ensuring consistent implementation of all air quality legislation across the country. I have secured funding of €1.2 million for 2022 for the provision of additional supports in this regard.

This work will continue over the coming months and additional projects and opportunities for collaboration will be developed, providing the groundwork for the new enforcement structure.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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180. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the forthcoming government Clean Air Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24267/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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A public consultation on the draft Clean Air Strategy ran from 7 March to 3 May.

More than 100 submissions were received and are now being reviewed, with a view to finalising and publishing the strategy later this year. The strategy will outline how we will enhance and protect the air we breathe, and set out a pathway, based on a comprehensive cross-Government programme of policies and measures, that will tackle all sources of air pollution.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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181. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the level of enforcement notices and prosecutions as reported to the Environmental Protection Agency by local authorities in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022 under the smoky coal ban regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24268/22]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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195. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of staff allocated in each local authority to ensure compliance with solid fuel regulations in each local authority since 2018; the number of inspections carried out by each local authority in each of the years since 2018; the nature of the enforcement taken; the number of fuel samples collected and analysed for each local authority in each such year; if they complied with the regulations; if each local authority has reported annually to the Environmental Protection Authority as required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24877/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 195 together.

Enforcement action against breaches of the Air Pollution Act (Marketing, Sale, Distribution and Burning of Specified Fuels) Regulations 2012 is a matter for Local Authorities.

Local Authorities are themselves responsible for allocating the appropriate staffing resources and finances to ensure they can fulfil all their air quality enforcement obligations, and they do not report to my Department in this regard.

Similarly, my Department does not compile statistics in relation to number of complaints received, samples analysed, prosecutions taken or fines imposed. Local Authorities report to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annually regarding enforcement activities under environmental legislation.

Details of Local Authority enforcement of environmental legislation are available from the series of Local Authority Environmental Performance Assessment reports compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency and can be accessed at: www.epa.ie/our-services/compliance--enforcement/support-and-supervision-of-local-councils/la-performance/.