asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make a statement on his intentions to bring about the necessary legislation to enable the total elimination of lead in motor fuels within this country.

The maximum lead content of petrol has been reduced, by regulation, in recent years to its present level of 0.15 grammes per litre which is approximately 82 per cent below the 1980 levels. Regulations were also made in 1986 to allow the introduction of unleaded petrol to the Irish market. These developments are in line with the requirements of Directive 85/210/EEC. It is a requirement of that directive that member states should ensure the availability and balanced distribution of unleaded petrol from 1 October 1989 and, at the same time, continue to ensure the availability and balanced distribution of leaded petrol to cater for those cars which will never be able to use unleaded. Any further proposals in this area would have to be developed in the context of further measures agreed at European Community level.

I have set up a steering committee, representative of the Government Departments concerned, the oil companies and the motor trade to develop and to oversee a comprehensive campaign to promote the wider use and availability of unleaded petrol.

When precisely does the Minister anticipate there will be only unleaded petrol used in Irish motor vehicles?

I think it will be quite a number of years.

Is the March 1989 date one which the Minister and the Government subscribed to?

The 1989 date requires us to have a balanced distribution of unleaded petrol available from that date. There is a very high proportion of cars in this country that can use only leaded petrol. I do not think it would be possible at this time — certainly not in the immediate future — to contemplate a situation where cars could use only unleaded petrol.