ABSTRACT
Prior to the first oil price crisis in 1973, national energy policy in Ireland focused on ensuring adequate supplies of cheap oil imports, and on developing indigenous energy sources, mainly peat and hydro. In 1978, oil accounted for 75 per cent of total fuel utilization. The Dublin city region with a population of 921,000 represents 26 per cent of the national total, and covers an area of around 300 km2. It is administered by three local authorities – Dublin Corporation, Dublin County Council, and Dun Laoghaire Corporation – which have geographically complementary roles. While in the late 1970s monitoring of atmospheric concentrations of sulphur dioxide and smoke revealed a steady downward trend, a significant rise of daily incidences of excessive smoke concentrations has raised growing concern. This problem seems to be particularly acute in more disadvantaged residential areas, where low-cost, bituminous type coal tends to be the main fuel source with more than 90 per cent of the market.
