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Prospecting Licences

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 October 2019

Wednesday, 16 October 2019

Questions (42)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

42. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of applications active in the Connemara electoral areas for either new prospecting licences or for the extension of existing licences; when it is expected a decision will be made on the applications; the areas covered in each licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42278/19]

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Oral answers (6 contributions)

There has been great concern in Connemara regarding the proposal to award new prospecting licences and to renew old ones. We need clarity about the process, the date that these decisions will be made on, how far the Minister has gone in evaluating the applications, and the number of applications.

The Department has no applications for new prospecting licences in the Connemara electoral area. In March 2019, Gold Note Minerals requested an extension of three existing prospecting licences that it has held since 21 June 2013. My intention to renew these licences was published in The Connacht Tribune on 26 July 2019 and was open for consultation for 30 days. These licences cover the following townlands in Galway: Breenaun, Carrowgarriff, Claggan, Cornamona, Cur, Derreen, Dooghta, Dooros, Drumsnauv, Farnaght, Glenlusk, Griggins, Kilmeelickin, Lee, Maum West, Moneenmore, Munterowen East, Munterowen Middle, Raigh, Teernakill North, and Teernakill South. Details, including a map of the licence areas, were available for inspection at Clifden and Maum Garda stations, Galway County Council offices, and at the Geological Survey Ireland office in Dublin. The notice was also published on my Department's website. The application remains under consideration by my Department and a decision is expected in the coming weeks.

It baffles me that the Minister of State would even consider issuing mining licences in an area such as the Maam Valley and Cornamona area. It is contiguous with Lough Corrib. Much of the land around, including the full lake, comprises special areas of conservation, SACs. Reading the literature, it is hard to see how mining is compatible with the preservation of the incredibly sensitive ecology of the area. Why is there not a policy similar to ones the Government has for the national parks and for Croagh Patrick, which state that in areas designated as SACs, special protection areas, SPAs, or natural heritage areas, NHAs, no new mining will be allowed in the future? Would that not be a much more honest way of dealing with the issue, not only for mining companies, which would not waste their money searching for minerals that they could never mine, but also for local communities, which have had the burden of these designations and should at least be sure, having lived and preserved the designations in the area, that they would be the beneficiaries of nothing being allowed that would damage these very important ecological areas?

A prospecting licence is for prospecting only and does not give the licenceholder permission to mine. It is the prerogative of mining or prospecting companies to apply for the licences. We have to deal with the applications and a public consultation process is involved in that. A number of submissions were received during the consultation process. There were also a number of representations and queries from local people and politicians, in addition to an online petition that gathered more than 5,000 signatures. The submissions are being reviewed and a decision about whether to renew these licences is under consideration. Many of the issues raised included how prospecting will damage the environment, the threat to tourism, and the threat to farming. These will be considered in the evaluation process. This is being done in an open way and nothing is hidden. These are licences for prospecting only.

The State decided that it would not even look for or bid for prospecting licences in national parks and Croagh Patrick for the very reason that it would never issue a mining licence there anyway. Why does the same principle not apply to areas designated as SACs or SPAs? It would be utterly rational for these areas to be protected and it is not possible that mining would be compatible with the preservation of the status of these areas. On the other hand, and with no disrespect to the Minister of State, it is stupid to say to me that they are only prospecting licences. Why would a company look for a prospecting licence if there was no chance, because of the designations of the areas, that it would ever be granted a mining licence? The presumption is that the companies must believe that they will get a mining licence. These are powerful entities and why otherwise would they bother wasting their money looking for the prospecting licence and then prospecting?

It is the policy of the Department not to issue any prospecting licences in national parks, as published by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. In certain exceptional circumstances, the National Parks and Wildlife Service may agree to the issuing of a prospecting licence for an area that contains part of a national park and that will enhance the knowledge and be of interest to the national park. Exploration activity in close proximity to a special area of conservation or special protection area requires prior permission from the Department. This involves submitting a screening for appropriate assessment report specific to the proposed activities. A stage 1 screening for appropriate assessment will then be carried out, specific to the exact location and conservation objectives of the SAC and SPA. Any proposed drilling or trenching, regardless of its location within the prospective licence area, requires screening for appropriate assessment by the competent authority, the exploration and mining division of the Department.

Drilling submissions are also required to be assessed to determine whether screening under the EIA directive is necessary. There is a good suite of hurdles to be jumped before a prospecting licence is granted.

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