Is it the Minister's view that peat briquettes produced by Bord na Móna have no contribution to make towards solving the smog problem in Dublin?

That seems to be a separate matter.

On the contrary, Coalite, brown nuggets and all low smoke fuel have a contribution to make. They are available and I wish people would purchase them in greater quantities. However, the purpose of this committee is to look at the feasibility of expediting the connection of gas to more houses in the Dublin area.

Will the Minister agree that in her many recent statements to the media, she seems to be obsessed with CDL Coalite to the exclusion of Bord a Móna peat briquettes? After all, peat briquettes are recognised by the Minister for the Environment as satisfactory fuel to burn in Dublin when there is smog.

I do not accept that I have a hang-up about CDL and their products. It is not my intention or wish to promote the products of any company. The Department of the Environment wish to inform people of the facts and that is what we sought to do in the information leaflets which were distributed to every house in Dublin. I had a meeting this week with representatives of Bord na Móna and I should like to encourage people in the Dublin area to use their products and those of other companies which have a low bituminous content.

Is the Minister of State not more in favour of burning Irish briquettes as against South African coal? Having regard to that fact, is she now in a position to indicate to the House that this committee will report to her very quickly to enable her to order CDL to reduce the price of Coalite to that of bituminous coal to avoid the poison in the atmosphere over Dublin?

This question primarily relates to the names of persons appointed to the committee and we are deviating from that.

I agree with the Deputy that the committee should report as soon as possible. They were given a three months' deadline and, as they are in existence for one month, they will be reporting towards the end of February. Of course it is my wish to promote an Irish product as opposed to a foreign product, but the information which was distributed by my Department on the basis of the Eolas report into the different solid fuel options found that Coalite had an emission of 1.8 grammes per hour an average as against peat briquettes which had an emission of 14.8 grammes. It would be wrong of me not to give such information.