Senator Martin has raised quite a number of questions and I hope I can satisfy him in some respects at least. I would like to think him for raising this very important matter. I hope that when I am finished I will at least be able to allay some of his fears.
When the matter was raised, and even before that, inquiries from the coal trade ascertained that there are adequate supplies of anthracite in stock at present but that there are difficulties being experienced in burning some of the grades of anthracite in certain specialised appliances. I presume that that is the kernel of the Senator's case. I am assured that this situation applies only to a very limited number of appliances. I can assure the Senator that the coal trade are examining the problem to see if improved combustion in these appliances can be achieved but I agree that is of very little help to those who are actually caught at this particular time.
As the Senator probably knows, seeing that his research has been very well done, two grades of anthracite are available. With the first grade, the volatiles, that is the elements that are responsible for the ignition of the coal at three to four per cent approximately, are too low to produce efficient combustion of the fuel without a forced draught. This factor adversely affects the performance of certain stoves. However, I must emphasise that there are many other appliances, and they are in the majority, that burn the present stocks of anthracite satisfactorily. At the moment tests are being conducted to see whether a suitable mixture of available grades can be evolved to solve the problem. I understand that American anthracite, which is in fair supply in the Irish market, performs equally well to the blended anthracite. The problem only arose around 1 June of this year. Up to that time, as the Senator said quite rightly, Germany supplied the suitable anthracite but since then the sizes and characteristics available are not, as indicated, ideally suitable. With many countries turning to coal there is pressure on supplies and anthracite is also being affected in this way.
There are proven reserves of approximately 10.7 million tons of high grade anthracite in the Leinster Slieve Ardagh coalfield. In addition, there are probable or possible reserves of 12 million tons in these coalfields. The feasibility of extraction of all these coal reserves on an economic basis has yet to be established having regard to the very narrow nature of the seams, the depth at which they occur and some other operational factors. Current annual extraction amounts to approximately 9,500 tons. In the light of the interest being shown in these coalfields by a number of prospective development companies and expansion proposals by existing mining companies, it is hoped that the rate of extraction will be significantly increased in the relatively near future when certain legal problems regarding the mining rights have been resolved.
In regard to the environment, a reduction in present consumption of anthracite would not make any real difference to the smoke levels in the environment because consumption of anthracite accounts for only a small proportion of household coal. For example, in 1979 it accounted for approximately 50,000 tons out of a total consumption of 1.2 million tons of household coal. The present levels of smoke in the atmosphere do not exceed limits set in the directive adopted in principle by the Council of Ministers of the EEC in September 1979. I understand that levels of smoke and sulphur dioxide which are the main air pollutants from fuel usage have been declining in the Dublin area in the period of 1970 to 1978 and that present levels of smoke and sulphur dioxide do not exceed the limits set in the directive to which I referred. Pollution levels in the provincial cities are lower than in Dublin and the latter's small size, location, wind direction and force all contribute in a mainly beneficial way.
The sale of smokeless fuels has dwindled very significantly in recent years, as the House is aware. The principal smokeless fuel is coke, which is a byproduct of the production of coal gas. There was a virtual cessation of the manufacture of gas from coal. This byproduct, coke, and many other products with brand names which were essentially the same thing, virtually disappeared from the market. With the increased urbanisation and the risk of smog in urban environments, there is no doubt that this is regrettable. The United Kingdom and other parts of the Continent had to introduce smokeless fuel zones in certain cities to cope with this problem. With the inevitable diversion to coal which will now occur in Ireland, the importance of smokeless fuels will increase considerably.
In the interests of the environment, the report published yesterday by the National Board for Science and Technology, entitled Energy Supply and Demand for the Next 30 Years, indicates the very increased share which coal is expected to hold of the Irish energy market by 1990. While, of course, much of this is industrial, a significant part will be domestic coal in which anthracite and coke will have a very important part to play. While the environment is the primary responsibility of another Minister, the Minister for Energy is far from being unmindful of the side effects of this shift in the energy supply policy, and due regard will be paid to such factors in the planning and integration of that policy. The continued availability of anthracite of acceptable quality will continue to be a concern of the Minister for Energy. If it is necessary to increase the standards of performance of the special stoves for burning anthracite, this can also be looked at. It is not, however, on the information available to the Minister for Energy, a problem of any significance other than that arising from difficulties with certain types of stoves handling one of the grades of anthracite now on the market.
Senator Martin posed certain questions. The information available to us is that there are sufficient supplies of anthracite available. However, there are shortages of a particular kind. In reply to the Senator's second question, the National Prices Commission would insist on getting the buy-in price and the costs would have to be proved to the National Prices Commission before any increase in price could be allowed.
With regard to a glut of oil, my recollection is that it was not dinner-sets they were asking for some time ago, but money in advance. All of us who remember that should think twice about accepting the dinner-sets now. At the time of the grants, oil was in a critical supply situation. A change to any solid fuel—I emphasise any solid fuel because that was what the grants were for, not the particular grade of anthracite to which the Senator referred—was then and is still seen as a desirable security of supply. I am not aware of a problem about hopperfed anthracite. The information is that, generally, there are adequate supplies of anthracite. However, I take the Senator's point in relation to looking for other sources, and I will certainly put that point very forcibly to the Minister for Energy. The fact that the vast majority of people can obtain fuel for their stoves is of very little consequence and is very little use to those who have the particular problem the Senator has in mind. He can rest assured that I will put to the Minister for Energy everything he has said in relation to looking for other markets.
The Seanad adjourned at 8.30 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 3 July 1980.
