Smoky coal ban in Cork ‘cannot be policed’ as local authorities do not have the resources to enforce regulations
The smoky coal ban was first introduced into Dublin in 1990 and Cork City followed five years later. Department of Environment regulations now apply in all cities and larger provincial towns.
However, since the ban was extended to incorporate satellite towns in Cork, the county council has conceded it did not have the resources to enforce the regulations.
The county council said its manpower had been reduced significantly after the Government brought in a public sector recruitment embargo.
Carrigaline-based Cllr John A Collins said he had numerous complaints from some people that smokeless coal did not provide the same heat as smoky coal, and he believes many householders in smoke-free zones are, as a result, not complying with the air pollution laws.
He also said there were anomalies in that homes on one side of a road were designated smoke-free while neighbours opposite did not have to adhere to the regulations.
“The environmental section of the council doesn’t have the resources to monitor everywhere,” the Fine Gael councillor said.
The ban applies throughout the Cork metropolitan region which incorporates Ballincollig, Douglas, Glanmire, Carrigaline, and other areas.
The extended smoke-free zones were introduced into some county towns in Cork under the Air Pollution Act (Marketing, Sale, Distribution and Burning of Specified Fuels) Regulations 2012.
The role of the county council includes keeping an eye on fuel suppliers selling the banned smoke products within the smokeless zones.
Some of the councillors warned there was little the local authority can do to monitor thousands of households in the region and, furthermore, trying to stop householders from travelling to suppliers outside the zones to secure smoky coal.
At a conference in September, Environment Minister Alan Kelly strongly indicated a blanket ban should be introduced nationwide.
But councillors in Cork said the Government should endeavour to assist local authorities in enforcing regulations by providing the necessary resources.
Council staff have serious powers under the act to deal with the threat of air pollution and the associated health risks from smoky fuels. But he said: “There simply isn’t enough staff to deal with the situation and the section responsible for monitoring the regulations is already overstretched.
“We don’t have the resources. It’s a matter of health as well. The Asthma Association welcomed the move (extension of smokeless zones) when it happened. If the Government wants to reduce the amount of admissions to hospital from respiratory illness, then it will have to provide the county council with the proper resources to police it,” he added.
Council chief executive Tim Lucey said the council had no extra resources to deal with the extension of the smokeless zones and monitoring would have to be conducted by existing staff.
Cllr Kevin Murphy said the only way to make the situation easier to control was to designated the whole country as a smokeless zone.
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