asked the Minister for the Environment the steps, if any, he intends to take to ensure that smoke levels in the Dublin area are reduced to within EC levels.
16.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Air Pollution.
10.
asked the Minister for the Environment when adequate finance will be made available for the implementation of the Air Pollution Act, 1987.
64.
asked the Minister for the Environment if it is his intention to introduce smoke free zones in Dublin.
65.
asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in Dublin alone the air quality situation is being aggravated by using 450,000 tonnes of coal a year.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 16, 64 and 65 together.
Last week's Budget Statement announced that £250,000 would be made available in 1988 for a scheme of financial assistance towards the cost of smoke control measures in the Dublin area. I am urgently drawing up details of this scheme and will announce them as soon as possible.
I have already overseen the prompt enactment of the Air Pollution Act, 1987 which provides a comprehensive legislative framework for controlling air pollution. Local authorities have been issued with detailed advice regarding their powers under the new Act. In addition, I have made regulations prescribing air quality standards for smoke, sulphur dioxide, lead and nitrogen dioxide and I have formally designated monitoring stations and arrangements in Dublin and other areas.
There are no official statistics for coal consumption in the Dublin area only. However, coal sales in Dublin are estimated to have peaked some years ago at just below 400,000 tonnes and to have decreased somewhat since then.
I am glad the Minister has something in mind in relation to this problem because when I raised the matter during the last smog in the city the Government did not seem to realise that people were suffering. The amount of money allocated in this year's budget will do little or nothing in relation to the programme. Will the Minister subsidise the purchase of smokeless fuel by consumers in the city? Is it his intention to divide the city into zones and to start on a working basis so that we can, over a period of time, reduce pollution and eliminate it, if possible.
We aim to achieve the Deputy's objectives in this regard and it will be a matter of urgency. I dealt with this in some detail this morning during my budget contribution.
I missed that.
We all missed it.
I said that Ballyfermot would probably be the first area because a survey has just been completed there of nearly 900 houses. The area experienced the worst effects over the years. Because of the formula that has to be gone through in establishing a control order, it will take some little time and that is why the amount of money allocated this year will be enough to satisfy the demands. Dublin City Council have to make the order first; there will then be an oral hearing to see if there are any objections to the order. I will have to consider the inspector's report on the oral hearing and, after that, a special control area order will come into force. However, it cannot come into force for at least six months after that matter has been disposed of. To comply with the Air Pollution Act, 1987, will take a little while, even with the best will in the world. Therefore, I am satisfied that the money allocated is enough to deal with the problem this year. We will have to have a campaign in so far as conversion to natural gas is concerned and advocate the use of smokeless fuels. There will also have to be a grant scheme to deal with appliances which will have to be converted. It should not be confined to just one appliance. I should like to think that a whole range of options will be supported and I will keep in mind what Deputy Spring said in that regard.
Does Deputy Martin Gibbons wish to intervene? He has a question tabled on this subject.
May I ask the Minister if he would confirm that Ballyfermot is the only area in Dublin which has consistently shown a very high level of pollution, something like four or five times the EC standard? Could he also confirm that in December 1987 12 of the 13 monitoring stations in the Dublin area showed four to five times the EC level? Can he indicate in what way specifically he sees that this problem can be dealt with? Would he consider giving grants of one kind or another to assist people to switch to electric heating or gas central heating or indeed gas fires which are smoke free or smokeless fuel which would avoid the necessity of importing solid smokeless fuels?
I want to come to finality on this question because the time has come to deal with questions nominated for priority. The Minister to reply.
The December smog in Dublin taken in isolation, did not reach the EC air quality standard. I agree with the Deputy that Ballyfermot is a particular problem and it has exceeded the limits under the directive on a number of occasions. It would seem to be the area to which we would give our first attention and that is the reason the pilot survey of the 900 houses was undertaken. I would not like anybody to get the idea that the grants system would be by way of betterment of present housing conditions. It would have to encompass all suitable appliances whether gas or solid fuel. There has been some misleading media coverage about supporting one type of fire box in the recent past. That is not my intention. I would like to think it would cover the whole range so that people would have options and make the best use of the grant available to them depending on their personal circumstances. We are a little bit down the road now because the Dublin City Council will have to make the order and that oral hearing will take some time but I am pressing them. There was much media comment: "What was the point in Dublin Corporation going ahead when there was nothing to meet it by way of back-up or State support"? I was anxious to get the State support in place. They can go ahead and do it now. I am asking them as a matter of urgency to get about the business and let us have before the next winter period comes in some control area established where we can do something positive.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the matter of the provision of the promised sports hall for Rathcoole community school, County Dublin.
I will communicate with Deputy Taylor in respect of that matter.