Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 1 Nov 1984

Vol. 353 No. 5

Adjournment Debate. - Dublin Air Pollution.

Mr. G. Brady

In raising this matter, I should like to refer initially to rather disturbing statistics that have recently been reported in relation to a Dublin hospital where findings were taken in January 1982 which show that the death rate from respiratory and bronchial problems doubled in that month in Saint James's Hospital. These statistics were reported quite recently in the Irish Medical Times by two eminent specialists engaged in that field.

In starting my contribution I am referring to that problem to use it as a focal point to highlight a problem that has been continuous in Dublin over the last ten to 15 years and which is rapidly getting worse — the chronic air pollution in the city. Even from a visual point of view, disregarding statistics, looking at the city from the Dublin mountains you can witness this appalling pall of smoke, sulphur dioxide pollution, covering the city, depending on a big wind to blow it away. The air in Dublin is filthy and the city is literally choking to death. The people most vulnerable in this pollution are the elderly and the young. In Dublin we have a very large geriatric population and we also have a very large young population.

We are systematically running away from the problem without taking any steps other than quoting statistics which say that our air level content of sulphur dioxide comes within EC regulations. I raised this matter in 1979-80 and I have the environmental pollution report of that year from the health inspectors' department, Dublin Corporation. They mentioned the disquieting 35 per cent increase then in smoke pollution in Dublin city due primarily to the increase in the cost of oil which caused more people to burn domestic coal.

Since then the problem has become very much more severe and is now a serious health danger to Dubliners. The Minister will have to address himself to this problem immediately to take the necessary action. I should like to see the Minister conducting a survey of Dublin hospitals which would show the number of deaths from air pollution. If there is a double death risk in one hospital in January 1982 what was it in other hospitals? How many elderly people live in Dublin? We are now coming into the winter and many elderly people will die from air pollution. If the Minister says that January 1982 was a very cold month and that the air did not circulate it is a tacit admission that we are depending on air flows to move the pollution. It is totally unacceptable to depend on that.

Firm action must be taken straight away. Apart from this high incidence of sulphur dioxide from the burning of domestic fuel, I am sure the Minister is aware of the appalling situation that obtains in Dublin through air pollution. Indeed, CIE are a chief offender as their buses are not properly tuned and diesel fumes are spewing out from their exhausts. Juggernauts also cause a problem when they are held up for a long time in traffic jams.

All this is contributing to rotten air in the city and it is reminiscent of London in the late fifties when the air there caused a major crisis. They had to issue health warnings to people and they had to take firm action as many people died as a result of air pollution. London was made a smokeless zone.

The Minister should prepare a blueprint to declare Dublin a smokeless zone. The Minister has the power to take such action. The atmospheric pollution controls regulations of 1970 are laughable. They talk about black smoke emanating from industrial sources. I remember reporting a case and being told by the Department that it was very difficult to prove that the smoke was black. When you are caught up in that type of limiting regulation you cannot win. According to the EC levels of five years ago the central Dublin area falls within the category of a medium polluted area. I am sure the Minister knows that the cost of desul-phuring equipment to cut back sulphur dioxide levels is astronomical. The spirit within the EC is to encourage nations to cut back on SO 2 levels and it is very difficult for Ireland to make their case when we are talking about nuclear waste, dumping and pointing the finger at countries in the EC who are doing that. We should be prepared to take action ourselves to try to do what Germany are doing now, cutting back on their sulphur dioxide levels.

The Minister realises that this deadly pollution is one of the constituents of what is called acid rain. The air in Dublin at the moment is choking. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth. It is visible at times. It stays on the bonnets of cars and so on. This winter we will see a huge increase in the number of deaths due to this. Before the medical people come up with the statistics, I appeal to the Minister to conduct a survey of the city in that respect.

I want to put a few points to the Minister to assist him. I want to refer to the action that could be taken to make this a smokeless city. The first thing is to give the best possible incentives to people to cut back on burning domestic imported coal. That is the primary reason for the increase. We have stocks of anthracite available. Perhaps it is somewhat dearer than domestic coal, but the set off, if I may put it that way, against the cost of health damage caused by indiscriminately burning coal or anything that increases sulphur dioxide, would be considerable. The Minister should then encourage the widespread use of smokeless fuels, principally anthracite. This could be made more economic and people could burn it in a more economic manner because it lasts very much longer than fast burning domestic coal.

The second point is that a very aggressive campaign must be undertaken to enforce the Clean Air Act in relation to badly tuned lorries or buses. CIE must give a lead here. Can the Minister cite any example where the driver of a bus or a juggernaut or a car was prosecuted for spewing out this smoke? Members of the public are appalled when they drive behind this deadly smoke. Firm action should be taken. These people should be hauled in and prosecuted on the spot. If the law is not strong enough, the Minister could introduce a by-law.

Thirdly, the Minister should establish a warning system to alert people when sulphur dioxide levels and air pollution levels in Dublin are serious. It is not good enough to hide behind bureaucratic EC regulations and say we are OK. We have to go for an absolutely precious environment in our resources of air and water, and not allow ourselves to become polluted in the same way as many European countries are. All of that points to the establishment of smokeless zones.

Fourthly, the Minister should conduct a survey of peripheral areas of the city, the areas where there are great housing estates and people are using coal. We should compare them with the inner city centre of Dublin. I represent a constituency where the people say the air is appalling and they do not go out at night. That is the position in the basin areas of Dublin around Irishtown, Ringsend and so on. People living in a slightly more elevated area of the city stand a much greater chance of enjoying better health.

We are dragging our heels on this one. I remember raising the question of the pollution of Dublin Bay which was in a disastrous state. I was told all was well, and there was nothing to worry about, and that thankfully Dublin Bay was not as bad as other bays in Europe. I will not be satisfied with that this evening. I will bring this matter up again as the statistics prove the point I am making. I tried to raise this matter last week. I made some inquiries from medical practitioners, GPs and chest specialists. They are quite unambiguous in their view that the air in this city falls far short of what could be regarded as a healthy environment. Unfortunate sufferers with asthma problems, respiratory or bronchial problems, or dust allergies, are in a very bad state. A normal healthy person breathing this foul air suffers a health risk. Our health is being damaged as a direct result. It is ironic to see hundreds of people jogging at night time and breathing in air of this kind. It is a strange irony that we are not putting our house in order. The Minister and the Ceann Comhairle are fortunate enough to live where they can breathe more pure air than the citizens of Dublin can.

Mr. Kavanagh

They are here a good deal of the time.

Mr. G. Brady

Yes, indeed. That means they can make the comparison when they drive out of Dublin into the clear air. I ask the Minister to treat this whole question with extreme seriousness and to make it a priority before the damage reaches a point where it will cost enormous sums of money. I hope he will take the steps I have suggested to him and commit himself to seeing that we have clean air in our capital city which houses one-third of our population. In London there is a huge population of between 11 million and 13 million people. The traffic flow is enormous compared with ours. There is no comparison between the air there and the air here. A few short years ago the air was foul in London, but the position has been reversed. That should be a priority for the Minister for the Environment and everything should stem from that. Smokeless zones should be structured in and steps should be taken accordingly.

We must have a commitment and an overview of the regulations. We should clamp down on the juggernauts and encourage people to use smokeless fuel. We should survey the city. We should issue health warnings. We should admit the problem. There is no point in saying Dublin is not so bad. It is better to face up to the problem, to square up to it and admit it. Visually it is out there.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy should conclude now. His time is up.

Mr. G. Brady

The Chair normally gives me a minute.

An Ceann Comhairle

I will give you a minute.

Mr. G. Brady

The Minister will remember that about a week ago there was an enormous gale blowing throughout the country. I remember mentioning to some of our mutual colleagues how clear the air was and that one could see for quite a distance. However, within that day the air was again fouled up. Seeing is believing. The Minister must face up to facts and admit that the problem is there. He must take immediate action in order to counteract it.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Kavanagh)

I should like to assure the Deputy that, far from running away from the problem of air pollution, I am involved very much in this at EC level at the moment, as President of the Environmental Council. I just got back yesterday from the European Parliament and next week I shall be dealing with European Local Authorities in Rome, when these problems will again emerge. On 6 December I shall be dealing with air pollution throughout the Community. Emissions from large combustion chambers and the like, lead in petrol, emissions from motor vehicles, and the acid rain problem are all on our agenda so I can assure the Deputy that at that level, in my capacity as President, I am very much involved and concerned in that area. I should not like it to be thought that we only think in European terms in this capacity. We certainly are aware and want to be aware of what is happening in Dublin, which is now probably the most seriously affected area, but the problem exists in other parts of the country as well.

I have seen the results of this study to which the Deputy has referred and am having them examined in my Department. I have also asked the Department of Health to examine aspects of the study.

I do acknowledge that there is a connection between air pollution levels and health in urban populations. It has been shown that air pollutants in sufficient quantities can have adverse health effects resulting, for example, in the case of sulphur dioxide, and smoke, in an increase in respiratory and cardio-vascular disease. With very high concentrations of smoke and SO 2 levels as occurred in London in 1952 — and the Deputy referred to that — the immediate effects were clearly manifest in terms of increased mortality and morbidity, that is, hospitalisation, especially among those with a pre-existing respiratory illness and the very young and older members of the community obviously were affected. Less easily detected, however, are the long term consequences of exposure to lower levels which may play an important role in the development of bronchitis and other related diseases.

In Ireland, until recently, there has been generally little need for concern about problems relating to air pollution. In general, this country is unpolluted with plentiful supplies of air, water and large areas of unspoilt landscapes. National emissions in 1982 were estimated to be 155,000 tonnes per year of SO 2 and about 98,000 tonnes of smoke, to give average annual emission rates of 2.2 tonnes per km² and 1.4 tonnes per km², respectively. In contrast and to put it in its context with the remainder of Europe, estimates of annual emissions for 1982 from the United Kingdom were 4.250 million tonnes per year of SO 2 and West Germany 3.5 million tonnes/year of SO2. Compared with these, our emissions were very small. In fact our contribution to transboundary air pollution — and this is one of the problems with acid rain — and to acid deposition is negligible and our emission rates are lower than those of comparable countries in the Community. Some countries are the emitters of acid rain and others are the receivers. Total emissions of SO 2 by all EC countries in 1980 were an estimated 19,427,000 tonnes. Irish emissions comprised 1.1 per cent of this figure. On a regional basis, however, it is agreed that the picture is somewhat different.

In Dublin, in particular, the air quality is now a greater cause for concern than in the past, due to rapid urbanisation, coupled with a significant increase in the use of solid fuel within the domestic sector. The Dublin conurbation is expanding rapidly and with about a million people already located within an area of about 290km², it is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe. Urban growth is also occurring in other centres such as Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway and so the air quality in these areas also warrants attention.

Until recently, peat and minor deposits of poor quality coal were the only native fuels. Natural gas from the Kinsale field, off County Cork was first brought ashore in 1979, and since 1982 it has been consumed by an increasing number of users. All oil and virtually all coal has been imported and so the 1979 oil crisis which resulted in a sharp rise in world prices for crude oil led to an urgent need to reduce national dependence on oil by using alternative fuels, such as solid fuel and natural gas.

The impact on air quality of urban areas of the dramatic increase in the use of coal within the domestic sector has been demonstrated in Dublin during the last few winters. Pollutant levels have increased appreciably over those which were observed in the years immediately prior to the switch in fuel use.

An Foras Forbartha, at the request of my Department, carried out a survey of fuel use in the Dublin area in 1981 and estimated the emission levels in a grid pattern of the city suburbs from the main emission source categories. The source categories considered were domestic, commercial, industrial, power generation and vehicles. Total emissions from all stationary and vehicle sources located in the Dublin area were estimated to be about 55,400 tonnes per year for SO 2 and 15,900 tonnes per year for smoke, in 1981. Over 80 per cent of the SO 2 emitted originated from the use of fuel oil. Sulphur dioxide emissions from coal were about 10 per cent of the total with about 5 per cent from gas oil. With regard to smoke emissions, the main source was the consumption of solid fuel, in particular coal, which accounted for 75 per cent of total emissions in the area. It is evident that smoke emissions from oil fuels are very small in comparison, with the exception of diesel driven vehicles which were calculated to contribute about 10 per cent of the total in 1981.

The domestic sector was found to be the main source of smoke in the area, accounting for 81 per cent, 12,900 tonnes per year, of the total with 75 per cent of these emissions originating from the combustion of household coal. Road vehicles contributed a further 14 per cent, much of it derived from the use of diesel fuel. In regard to annual SO 2 emissions, the ESB power stations contributed about 65 per cent of the SO 2 amount emitted during 1981, with 12 per cent from domestic sources and 20 per cent from commercial-industrial emitters. However, the 35,800 tonnes of SO 2 emitted from the power stations are dispersed at a high level and so the 6,400 tonnes per year originating from domestic and also the quantities from the other sources will have a greater impact on ambient ground level concentrations.

The study to which the Deputy refers relates to the number of deaths of elderly people who died in St. James' Hospital in mid-January, 1982 when high smoke and SO 2 levels were recorded at monitoring stations located in the general catchment area of the hospital. The study suggested a direct correlation between these deaths and the high pollution levels found. This study however, deals with higher than average mortality rates over a short period of time and makes no allowance for factors other than air pollution. More detailed information is required in respect of known co-variates such as smoking patterns, occupation, sex, nutritional standards, living conditions and previous medical care, before mortality could be attributed to ambient air pollution levels only. Another important factor is the level of indoor pollution present, as well as the outdoor ambient levels during the period.

I am, however, obviously concerned at the recurrence of high air pollution levels, particularly smoke. In consultation with my colleague, the Minister for Energy, efforts are being made to devise energy policies which will make greater use of natural gas at the expense, not only of oil but solid fuels, as well and for commercial, industrial and domestic purposes. As the Deputy is aware, the Government have assisted the Dublin Gas Company to the tune of £150,000,000 to develop the use of natural gas throughout the Dublin area. My Department have approved the provision of a mains supply of natural gas to several new local authority housing schemes in the Dublin area at a cost of approximately £210 per house. We will continue to consider favourably any proposals by local authorities to provide a mains supply of natural gas to new houses, provided that the cost of connection is reasonable.

The environmental impact of converting from oil to natural gas can be quite significant. For example, if all industries in Dublin used natural gas, emissions of SO 2 in the region could be reduced by about 15 per cent.

This work has to continue. We are aware of the problem and I can assure the Deputy that we are tackling it not only at EC level but also at local level.

The Dáil adjourned at 5.30 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 6 November 1984.