New law says local authorities responsible for enforcing turf sale ban

THE November meeting of Birr Municipal District was told by Mary Hussey, a Senior Engineer in the Council, that the new solid fuel regulations came into effect on October 31st last.
"The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, signed the new Solid Fuel Regulations for Ireland which came into effect on the 31st of October," she told the councillors.
“The primary focus of these regulations is on improving air quality and improving people’s health chances and outcomes, by restricting the retail, online and commercial sale of smoky fuels, including smoky coal, turf and wet wood. These fuels are proven to be a major contributor to air pollution in Ireland."
She pointed out that the regulations were made under the Air Pollution Act and, "as with the previous solid fuel regulations, the Local Authorities are primarily responsible for the enforcement of the regulations within their functional areas."
She added that people with turbary rights and all other customary practices in respect of turf will be unaffected by these regulations. They will continue to be able to cut turf for their own use and will retain the ability to gift or sell turf. However, no sale of turf may take place by way of the internet or other media (i.e. advertising in the local press), or from retail premises.
Cllr John Clendennen said there has been no discussion within the County Council about placing solar panels on the roofs of County Council buildings around Offaly. "I think, as a Council," he remarked, "we should be leading by example and we should be putting solar panels on our own roofs."
He added that the Council is strongly focussed on placing air to water Heat Pump systems in its Council houses. Some of the energy generated by the Heat Pumps goes back into the national grid. "The Council has moved away from solid fuel and is focussed heavily on Heat Pumps and putting energy back into the national grid. It's a massive change, a revolutionary change."
Cllr John Leahy agreed that the Council should lead by example. "A lot of Aras an Chontae is constructed of glass. You could generate quite a bit of electricity from the light energy passing through the glass."
Cllr Leahy added that he reckons 60 to 70 per cent of the people living in his area (Kilcormac) are heating their homes through the use of solid fuel.
Cllr John Carroll asked which section of the Council will be responsible for the enforcement of the solid fuel regulations.
Mary Hussey told Cllr Clendennen that John McNally, the Climate Action & Energy Officer in the Council, recently carried out an audit of the Council's buildings throughout Offaly with the aim of installing solar panels on them.
In response to Cllr Carroll she said the Council doesn't have enough staff to adequately enforce the solid fuel regulations. "Because of a lack of staff," she said, "the adequate policing of this issue, visiting shops, etc, would be problematic."