Asthma Society of Ireland asked European Parliament candidates to pledge their support for a nationwide smoky coal ban in the run up to the election
The Asthma Society of Ireland (ASI) are delighted to announce that thirteen candidates for the 2019 European Parliament Elections have pledged to support a nationwide ban on smoky coal in Ireland.
With 470,000 people affected, Ireland has the fourth highest prevalence of asthma in the world. The burning of smoky coal is a major contributor to air pollution, in fact following a ban of smoky coal in Dublin in 1990 it is estimated that over 8,900 lives have been saved. In 2015, then Minister for Environment Alan Kelly first announced a nationwide smoky coal ban. However, since this announcement the ban has been delayed year after year while people in Ireland continue to suffer. Now is the time to take action.
The ASI asked candidates to pledge their support for the campaign to introduce a nationwide ban on the sale, distribution and burning of smoky coal in Ireland, many of whom have done so publicly using the #CleanAir hashtag.
CEO of the Asthma Society of Ireland, Sarah O’Connor said: “we are delighted with the number of candidates who have taken the pledge but we need more to commit. This election is the most important European election in history and the people of Ireland need to know that their representatives are working towards a cleaner, healthier Ireland at every level of politics”.
The candidates who took the pledge are:
- Sheila Nunan - Labour Party Ireland South Constituency
- Adrienne Wallace - People Before Profit Ireland South Constituency
- Barry Andrews - Fianna Fáil Dublin Constituency
- Brendan Smith - Fianna Fáil Midlands North West Constituency
- Malcolm Byrne - Fianna Fáil Ireland South Constituency
- Éilis Ryan - Workers' Party Dublin Constituency
- Aisling McNiffe - Independent Dublin Constituency
- Colleen Hawkins - Independent Ireland South Constituency
- Fidelma Healy Eames – Independent Midlands North West Constituency
- Liam Minehan - Independent - Ireland South Constituency
- Mark Durkan - Fine Gael Dublin Constituency
- Anne Rabbitte – Fianna Fail Midlands North West
- Ciarán Cuffe – Green Party Dublin Constituency
- Mairead McGuinness – Fine Gael Midlands-North-West constituency
