The smoky coal ban is reportedly being extended to Tramore.
According to the Irish Times, Minister for Climate Action, Richard Bruton, will announce before Christmas that the burning of smoky coal will be prohibited in 13 more towns.
Currently, the ban is in place in Waterford city but not the county.
The paper also reports that the Government is backing away from a nationwide ban as coal firms from outside the State have threatened legal action.
Green Party councillor Marc O'Cathasaigh says extending the ban doesn't go far enough:
"Waterford City is already designated as smoky fuel free but Tuesday last we still saw a huge spike in particulate matter on one of the cold, still evenings which comes from the burning of solid fuels. We need to go further than just designating towns, we need to come up with something like a clean air act that really is going to protect more vulnerable citizens. There's a big problem, even in Waterford City, where those rules are being flouted. There's smoke-free coal on sale alongside regular coal, the regular coal is cheaper, and there's a lot of people opting to go for that."
