Most coal being sold by retailers in the Dublin region does not meet legal limits, posing a serious threat to air quality and public health, a Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLR) survey has found.
In a report on behalf of Dublin’s four local authorities it says there is widespread noncompliance with sulphur content regulations in solid fuels being sold across the capital.
Under regulations introduced in 2022, strict sulphur limits were put in place to reduce harmful emissions from solid fuels – a leading contributor to poor air quality and respiratory illnesses.
DLR’s environmental enforcement section sampled solid fuels across the region and found “most of the coal samples tested were in breach of these regulations”.
Boy (11) stabbed in primary school attack in north Dublin
Review: Kathryn Thomas shines a light on Ozempic in new RTÉ documentary. If only it was less coy about Operation Transformation
Why the hell is Ireland v France on at 2.15pm on a Saturday? This is a rugby rivalry for the ages
European leaders seem astounded by Trump’s bullying and blatant aggression
“The results raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of the regulations and the integrity of the solid fuel supply chain,” said Cllr Jones – a ban on smoky coal was introduced in Dublin in September 1990.
“These findings are extremely concerning and demonstrate that high-pollution fuels are still being sold and burned, despite strict regulations being in place,” Cllr Jones said.
“Non-compliant fuels contribute significantly to air pollution, which has well-documented health impacts, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions,” he said.
In the report, which Cllr Jones sought from the local authority, DLR’s senior executive scientist Ultan Downes said the results have been shared with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Environment.
“The scale of noncompliance also raises serious concerns about potential fraud in the supply chain, where packaging indicates compliance while the actual product does not meet regulatory standards,” he said.
“If the investigations show the packaging meets legal requirements, but the fuel inside does not, this suggests a widespread issue of fraud,” Cllr Jones said. “We need immediate action from national authorities to address this, including increased inspections, stronger penalties and clearer labelling requirements.”
Cllr Jones called for increased enforcement measures to increase accountability throughout the supply chain and to ensure the public is protected from harmful effects of non-compliant coal.
He confirmed the survey funded by the Department of the Environment did not look at other solid fuels that are subject to the regulations. “If we are falling down on one category, we have to question all solid fuels,” he said.
The most significant issue, Cllr Jones said, was all the packaging indicated it was in compliance with the law. This was in a scenario where retailers were assuming licensed suppliers have done the appropriate tests.
He called on the EPA and the department to outline how they intend to address these serious breaches, especially when he understood no prosecutions had been brought under the regulations.
