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ENVIRONMENT MINISTER PHIL Hogan has announced a review and public consultation on the ban of smoky coal in parts of the country, saying it is time to “review and modernise” the ban.
The public consultation and review will look at ways to make the ban remain effective in safeguarding air quality by limiting harmful emissions of air pollutants arising from the use of fossil fuels for home heating.
The ban on smoky coal was first introduced in Dublin in 1990 in response to severe episodes of winter smog that resulted from the widespread use of smoky coal for heating homes.
The ban proved effective in reducing both smoke and sulphur dioxide levels and was subsequently extended around the country. It currently applies to twenty cities and towns across Ireland.
Research indicates that the ban in Dublin has resulted in at least 350 fewer deaths each year.
Minister Hogan said that the smokey coal ban had been effective in reducing air pollution with proven benefits for human health.
This has lead to improved quality of life in cities and towns where the ban applies. It is now time to review and modernise the main provisions of the ban to ensure its continued effectiveness.
Any person wishing to comment on any of the issues raised in the consultation paper on the Department of the Environment website can make a written submission by 17 May.
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Make smokeless cheaper while you’re at it Mr environment.
I can remember a November day in 1987 when due to a temperature inversion and the use of smoky fuels combined with air pollution visibility in Dublin was down to maybe 50 feet!
The same thing use to happen in London and in the fifties the death toll was hundreds one year.
I was in the Palace Bar in Fleet St around then and there was smog in the bar!
It was awful . You could taste the smog and see nothing ! Everyone was wearing masks over their mouths and noses to help breathe easier…. I was mugged in Ballymun( outside the Comp , night school) by 3 guys trying to take my hand bag …. They didn’t succeed :) I ended up battered and bruised but no identities to catch the b’s . I lived to tell the tale .
I still reckon The hog hogan is up to no good , with this wherever he is going with it …
Smokeless coal is expensive and rubbish. Get no heat from that muck. The government want your extra money from oil and gas hence no more back boilers allowed in new houses.
Bollocks!!! Anthracite burns plenty hot. My dad worked in collieries and we used a coal fire burning it as our central hearing/hot water and the house was always red hot all winter. You probably have a point about the back boilers tho.
If I had the money I would put a back up boiler in tomorrow. We had one when I was a kid and the house was always warm in the winter.
Now I can only afford to put the gas on boost every now and then so the house can be cold most of the day.
What’s another 100€ …
Can we get a ban on smoky cigarettes while we’re at it? Dirty rottin cancer sticks!
Ban cows shittin while your at it.
Am I missing something – what has happened in the intervening years that means the ban needs examining?
‘Modernising’ a ban !
Which means U-turn. I wonder who’s paying hogan to change the rules?! I mean, why else would he want to reinstate a ban!?
They’re changing the ban by expanding it to other urban areas. I remember the old smogs from smoky coal, used to really make my asthma worse, good riddance to smoky coal.
I can’t believe this is an issue anymore. It’s time for non-fossil fuel options to become widespread and affordable. Yeesh.
First he was attacking our homes, and now he is attacking the way we heat them, look out the window from time to time hogan and what do you see, rain rain rain and hailstones, oh I forgot, you can afford to go to portugal to your penthouse, anytime you like, except for the fact, that you haven’t paid your tax there, and we are just stuck here for the summer, because we can’t afford to go abroad, or anywhere else in the country. What are you going to take from us next. Our backs! Nothing would surprise me now!
Yea yea yea we already know that for years. Mr Phil Hogan this is nit new news at all and do you really believe we needed you to tell us. Now Phil appreciate it if you tell us something we have not know for at least 20 years
If anyone is interested- google “The Great Smog of 1952″ in London. Temperature inversion lasting 4 days combined with air pollution killed 12,000 people.
Most people have gas now and councils are actively upgrading all properties under their care with gas central heating so coal issues would not be as detrimental now.
What about private houses ? will they have to install gas ch?
our basic necessity of life is heat which they tax water is a basic necessity which is taxed shelter another is house taxd and going toilet another that’s taxeduour taxed when you die with inheritance tax…….its just tax tax tax here
What gives you the right to free heat, free water, free shelter and free sewerage systems eh? It’s the tax you pay that provides these ammenities and believe it or not compared to other countries we pay feck all for them. Grow up and pay your taxes please.
Clive
I am sure Vinnie does pay all his taxes and fees, he is just stating a FACT . You can not argue with facts . EVERYTHING is tax tax tax …. I agree with him and I find that your comment about other countries a bit ignorant of the FACTS. Sure you can check it out yourself quicker than I could tell you :) Have a nice day !
Remember who voted these guys in. We couldnt get them in fast enough. Well as they say be careful what you wish for.
true!
Oh yeah, please Fianna Fail come back and save us from the mess you created in the first place. What alternative are you providing except for moaning your hole off day in, day out. If you’re that excercised and concerned why aren’t you playing a part in rectifying the problem? Are you a member of a political party, are you trying to effect change by actively participating in democracy or are yoy just a moany old malcontent posting comments on the journal?
Well clive Im not a member of a political party. However these clowns in government are no better than FF. As a matter of fact Enda cap in hand to his EU buddies is as useful as an ashtray on a parachute & he or his partners in Government cant fix this.Am I participating in democracy.Thats whats going on here.You have only ever lived in a democracy I take because expressing your opinion in a non democracy isnt allowed & I vote all the time & sometimes I get it wrong but sometimes I get it right.You seem very worried about FF.Well let me tell you I dont see how this government will go full term because Labour are being destroyed in the government & by the time these monkeys are finished FF could be topping the poles because as a nation we never learn.There is no difference between this lot & the green/ff lot before except a little corruption & god do we need that now more than ever to deal with EU which is totally corrupt..
I am surprised Hogan doesn’t reverse the ban and poison their of us like hitler. He is doing his best to starve us and have us homeless so why not speed up the process? Thanks Phil for not prolonging the pain forever.
Perhaps we should burn the bondholders to see if they are smoke free, all the likes of hogan does is trying to find ways of screwing the poor of the country a loud mouthed bully, where is the so called Labour party ?
Shouldn’t that headline read ‘smoky coal’?
Can anyone else see the face in the fire?
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