Vol. 338 No. 5
asked the Minister for the Environment if he proposes to recommend to the Government that the country should move without delay towards the provision of lead free petrol so as to eliminate petrol as a source of lead contamination in the atmosphere; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
173.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Government's policy in relation to the concentration of lead in petrol.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 173 together.
Under regulations which I made in July of this year the maximum permissible lead content of petrol was reduced from 0.64 grammes per litre to 0.40 grammes per litre. These regulations bring the country into line with the general requirements on lead in petrol contained in the relevant EEC directive. They involve the waiving of a clause of the directive which allows Ireland to prescribe a limit of up to 0.64 grammes per litre until 1 January 1986.
It is not possible for a small country like Ireland, having limited refining capacity, to move on to a further stage of reduction by unilateral decision but the scope for such reduction will be kept under ongoing review in the light of developments in this regard in the European Community and in international refining practice.
