I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 to 31, inclusive, together.
Enforcement action against breaches of the Air Pollution Act (Marketing, Sale, Distribution and Burning of Specified Fuels) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 326 of 2012) is a matter for Local Authorities and my Department does not compile statistics in relation to prosecutions taken or fines imposed. Local Authorities report information to the Environmental Protection Agency annually regarding enforcement activities under environmental legislation.
The number of Local Authority staff involved in air quality enforcement activities, such as undertaking inspections of premises and vehicles being used for the sale and distribution of solid fuel, is an operational matter for the individual Local Authorities themselves, and my Department has no direct role in this regard.
Further details of Local Authority enforcement of environmental legislation, including staffing levels, are available from the series of Local Authority Environmental Performance Assessment reports compiled by the EPA. These reports can be accessed at: www.epa.ie/our-services/compliance--enforcement/support-and-supervision-of-local-councils/la-performance/
The most recent report relates to 2019 enforcement activities, and the 2020 performance report will be published in the near future.