A report into the quality of solid fuels sold across Dublin has uncovered widespread breaches of sulphur content regulations, sparking serious concerns about air pollution and public health.
The findings, revealed in a report requested by Green Party Councillor for Dundrum, Robert Jones, show that most coal being sold by retailers in the capital fails to meet legal sulphur limits.
The report outlines how Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLR), acting on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities, carried out a city-wide sampling and analysis initiative and found widespread non-compliance with environmental standards.
The sulphur limits were introduced as part of nationwide regulations set by the Green Party while in government in 2022.
Designed to reduce harmful emissions from solid fuels, these regulations aimed to curb one of the leading contributors to poor air quality and respiratory illnesses.
Despite the strict legal framework, the report makes it clear that enforcement has fallen short.
DLR’s Environmental Enforcement Section spearheaded the campaign, collecting and testing coal samples from across the city.
The results were alarming: most of the samples were found to breach the sulphur content limits, raising questions about the effectiveness of the current regulations and the integrity of the solid fuel supply chain.
“These findings are extremely concerning and demonstrate that high-pollution fuels are still being sold and burned, despite strict regulations being in place,” said Cllr. Jones (pictured above)
“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.
“Stronger enforcement and accountability within the supply chain are urgently needed.”
The report also raises suspicions of potential fraud within the solid fuel industry.
According to DLR’s Senior Executive Scientist, there is evidence that packaging claims compliance with environmental standards while the contents of the bags often do not.
These findings have now been shared with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Environment for further investigation.
“If the investigations show that the packaging meets legal requirements, but the fuel inside does not, this suggests a widespread issue of fraud,” Cllr. Jones added.
“We need immediate action from national authorities to address this, including increased inspections, stronger penalties, and clearer labelling requirements.”
The potential consequences of this non-compliance are severe. Sulphur emissions from burning solid fuels are a major contributor to air pollution, which can lead to respiratory illnesses and exacerbate conditions like asthma and bronchitis.
The most recent EPA air quality report estimates that 1,600 premature deaths occur in Ireland each year due to poor air quality.
Labour Spokesperson on Climate, Environment and Energy, Ciarán Ahern TD (pictured above), echoed Jones’s concerns and called for an urgent increase in air quality monitoring efforts.
Deputy Ahern criticised the government for failing to enforce existing regulations and warned of the broader implications of these findings.
“It’s extremely alarming that coal is being sold across Dublin that doesn’t meet current regulatory requirements. It’s even more worrying given that the packaging falsely indicates that it does meet the requirements,” Deputy Ahern said.
“This raises very serious questions about the level of inspection being carried out on solid fuels sold in Dublin and across the country and whether the current regulations are being implemented and working as intended.
“If this is happening with coal, it’s highly likely that it’s happening with other solid fuels as well.”
Ahern called for increased air quality monitoring stations in urban areas, particularly near schools and heavily trafficked residential zones, to provide more comprehensive data and identify problem areas more quickly.
He also pointed out the lack of progress on the government’s Clean Air Strategy, launched in 2023, which he said has failed to deliver measurable improvements to air quality.
“Air pollution is a massive environmental and health risk in Ireland,” Ahern continued.
“We can’t keep allowing preventable deaths to occur because of poor air quality.
“Government must treat this matter with the urgency it requires.
“That means committing the necessary resources to ensure that current regulations and legal limits on fossil fuel emissions are being properly enforced and that the necessary inspections are carried out.
“It matters for our environment and it matters for our health.”
Both Councillor Jones and Deputy Ahern are calling for immediate action from the EPA and the Department of the Environment to address these serious breaches.
With the report now in their hands, the pressure is mounting on national authorities to tighten enforcement measures and ensure that only compliant fuels make it to market.
As Dublin residents deal with the ever-growing problem of air pollution, the findings of this report serve as a stark reminder of the importance of environmental accountability and the urgent need to protect public health from dangerous emissions.