Vol. 482 No. 7
15 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the number of people currently employed in the mining industry; the number of licences currently issued and under negotiation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19121/97]
There are currently about 800 people employed in the extraction of those minerals which are within my area of responsibility under the Minerals Development Acts, 1940 to 1995. This includes base metals, gypsum, dolomite and various other minerals referred to in the Schedule to the 1940 Act but does not include quarrying for stone, sand, gravel, clay or peat which do not come under my remit. Approximately 150 people are employed in minerals exploration.
An additional 200 direct jobs are anticipated at the zinc-lead mine at Galmoy, County Kilkenny when it reaches full production next year. The Lisheen zinc-lead mine, for which I granted a State mining lease in October, is expected to provide over 300 jobs when it reaches full production at the turn of the century.
There are 18 currently held State mining facilities in the State for development of minerals and 404 prospecting licences. Details may be obtained in the statutory twice yearly reports which are presented to Dáil and Seanad Éireann under the Minerals Development Acts and which are available in the Oireachtas Library.
