Vol. 518 No. 3
204 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans, if any, he has to amend the Air Pollution Act, 1987, to prevent the use of bituminous fuels, as many individuals continue to burn such fuels against the spirit of the Act. [11394/00]
Regulations made under the Air Pollution Act, 1987, (No. 6 of 1987) banned the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous coal in Dublin since 1990 and in Cork since 1995. In April 1998, I made regulations extending the ban to Arklow, Drogheda, Dundalk, Limerick and Wexford. Enforcement of the regulations is a matter for the relevant local authorities.
Recorded smoke levels improved dramatically when the ban was introduced in Dublin and Cork. The recently published "Air Quality Monitoring Annual Report 1998" from the Environmental Protection Agency, a copy of which is in the Oireachtas Library, also shows the positive effects of the extension of the ban to the new areas in terms of air quality.
A possible extension of the ban to additional areas is currently under consideration and I expect to make an announcement in this regard shortly. While new regulations would be necessary to extend the ban, I have no plans to amend the Air Pollution Act, 1987.
