POSITIVE SMOKE SIGNALS COMING
THE use of smoky coal is to be banned in Enniscorthy from September 1, 2020.
The ban, announced by Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton TD, will be imposed on all towns that have a population over 10,000.
The air quality in Enniscorthy, long regarded as among the worst in the country, has in the past been compared to places like New Delhi.
Minister Paul Kehoe welcomed the decision to extend the ban and said the lead in period will allow time for distributors to order appropriate fuel types for next winter’s season.
‘I am extremely supportive of this proposal,’ he told this newspaper.
‘I know it’s an issue that is of concern to the community and businesses,’ he added.
According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) around 1,500 people die prematurely each year due to poor air quality and Minister Kehoe said the ban will have a positive impact on the town.
However, his Enniscorthy Dail colleague, Deputy James Browne, while welcoming the ban in Enniscorthy, was critical of the fact that it’s not going to be imposed nationwide.
He said correspondence he received recently from the HSE confirmed that poor air quality and its health-related impacts are estimated to cost Ireland around €2bn per year.
‘ That is a significant sum of money, which could be reduced if a nationwide ban was introduced,’ said Deputy Browne.
‘[ This] announcement is merely a tactic to try and appease the public concern around this issue,’ he said.
‘It doesn’t go far enough,’ he added. Jody Kehoe, from George Kehoe’s in Clonhaston, is a fuel merchant who is in favour of the smoky coal ban.
However, he said that people who are willing to do the right thing by adopting a more responsible approach to the environment and what they burn need more help from the Government.
‘ There should be more incentive given to people to burn smokeless coal,’ he said.
‘ The Government puts the same level of carbon tax on it as they do on bituminous coal so there is no incentive for people to buy smokeless,’ he added.
Mr Kehoe said that in his depot 95 per cent of customers buy bituminous coal and that it comes down to cost.
‘Most people will ask what price the coal is and then go for the cheapest product,’ he said.
He also said there is a lot of product coming in from Northern Ireland that is above the 7 per cent sulphur rating allowed.
‘I welcome the move in general but it could cause poverty among social welfare recipients and those on minimum wage if something isn’t done about the cost,’ he said.
‘In general, about 90 per cent of people will always go for the most economic bag as they want value-for-money.’
There could be issues with policing the measure too and it’s unlikely that it will be able to be 100 per cent enforced but that is something the local authority will have to address.
‘I would be afraid it would open up Enniscorthy to a black market economy because people will still want a cheaper option out of necessity,’ said Mr Kehoe.
‘It’s possible a black market situation could open up with no-one to police it.’
Mr Kehoe said a registration system would be relatively easy to implement to ensure that all suppliers are adhering to regulations but added that the Government needs to look at ways of ensuring the cost of smokeless coal doesn’t become an added burden on people who need it most.