Vol. 462 No. 5
28 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications if he intends to implement each of the 52 recommendations of the Task Force on the Minerals Industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4974/96]
I refer the Deputy to my detailed statement on the matter in reply to Deputy Noel Treacy's Question No. 22 on 31 January.
As that reply specifically indicated, many of the review group's recommendations had been implemented by then and my overriding priority is to ensure that as much responsible minerals exploration and development as possible can proceed without delay. Consideration of the other recommendations is proceeding, in consultation with my Government colleagues, and I hope to be able to announce the outcome over the coming months.
The Minister will recall that he informed the House last June that he hoped to publish a comprehensive response to the minerals industry report within a few months. As a comprehensive report on the 52 recommendations in that report has not been completed, will the Minister indicate the areas in respect of which he has not yet taken action and if he intends to take action in regard to them in the foreseeable future?
More than 15 of the 52 recommendations have been implemented.
Less than half.
The principles in those recommendations include the enactment of legislation to provide for minerals prospecting licences, recommendation No. 9, and the provision of incentives to direct attention to under-explore ground, recommendation No. 19.
I asked about the recommendations that have not been implemented.
I like to be positive.
I am not getting the information I requested.
Let us hear the reply, without interruption.
The principles also include more flexible arrangements for joint ventures between minerals prospecting firms, recommendation No. 20; further environmental protection at both minerals prospecting and development stages, recommendation No. 17; streamlining of the mine permitting process through closer co-operation between the permission authorities, recommendation No. 41 and the 1996 budget provision for a tax allowance for mine rehabilitation expenditure and a reduction in the standard rate of corporation tax from 38 per cent to 30 per cent covered in recommendation No. 5.
The national minerals policy review group provided an important input into the development of the national minerals policy. There could be no question of rubber stamping the entire report. Ongoing inputs are being made from other sources, such as Government Departments and minerals firms here and elsewhere. It is important to note the review group did not rank the 52 recommendations in any order of priority. We have implemented 15 of them and negotiations and consultations are taking place with relevant agencies and authorities to determine how soon we can implement the rest.
I am disappointed the Minister did not refer to the 37 recommendations on which action has not been taken. That was what my question was about. The committee was set up by his predecessor, Deputy Treacy, to carry out this investigation and prepare a report. Will the Minister agree that his Department was well aware of the work undertaken on the preparation of the report? It seems rather dilatory that very little action has been taken on important aspects of the recommendations in the intervening period, particularly when the Minister gave a firm commitment to the House last May that within two or three months he would make a comprehensive statement on the matter. We do not know the Department's attitude to many of these recommendations and the Minister indicated that he does not intend to implement some of them, but we do not know those to which he was referring. The Minister should be more forthcoming in giving information as it would be helpful to the industry and to Deputies.
I have been extremely helpful to the industry in that I have had a number of discussions with its representatives. I am aware they are appreciative of the swift action taken on many of the recommendations in the report. It should be borne in mind that many of the most important outstanding recommendations impinge on other areas of public policy, notably taxation, land use policy and industrial policy and, therefore, they must be considered in a wider context. This is being done as quickly as possible. I assure the Deputy that we will conclude those consultations and bring forward recommendations for the implementation of what is practicable in respect of the outstanding 37 recommendations as quickly as possible.
