Vol. 543 No. 2
481 Ms Clune asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of prosecutions per annum over the past five years in Dublin and Cork for the burning or sale of bituminous coal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25995/01]
The Air Pollution Act, 1987 (Marketing, Sale and Distribution of Fuels) Regulations, 1998 and 2000 – S.I.s No. 118 of 1998 and No. 278 of 2000 – prohibit the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous coal in a number of restricted urban areas including the cities Dublin and Cork and adjacent built up areas. The regulations do not prohibit the burning of bituminous coal.
Enforcement of the coal bans is undertaken by local authorities by a range of means, including inspectors, taking of samples for analysis, issue of warning notices, as well as the circulation of prosecutions where necessary. While no prosecutions have been taken in Cork since 1996, nine prosecutions have been taken in Dublin – four in 1996, three in 1998 and two in 1999.
