Vol. 404 No. 7
59 Mr. Cosgrave asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make a statement on the impact on pollution of the banning of bituminous coal in built-up areas; if he has any further plans to improve the quality of air in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Final analysis of the impact of the Dublin coal ban will only be possible when the present heating season is over and full data from all monitoring stations in Dublin is available.
However, it is already clear that the coal ban has had a significantly beneficial effect on air quality in the built-up area of Dublin to which it applies. No breaches of EC and national air quality standards for smoke are known to have been recorded since the ban commenced on 1 September 1990 and monitoring results show that monthly mean levels of smoke for December 1990 have fallen relative to December 1989 by 78 per cent in Ballyfermot, 73 per cent in Cabra and 69 per cent in Mountjoy Square.
I intend to review progress in relation to smoke standards at the end of the present heating season and to consider whether any further measures may be necessary.
