asked the Minister for Energy his views on whether mineral exploration works (details supplied) in County Mayo currently in progress on the slopes of Croagh Patrick, are appropriate considering the unique character of the mountain and the position that it holds as part of our Irish heritage.
Written Answers. - Mineral Exploration Works.
131.
A prospecting licence holder is required to carry out his work in conformity with good prospecting practice and without unnecessary interference with the amenities of the locality in which the licence area is situated. He is required to ensure that any trenches opened during exploration work are backfilled as soon as his programme of work no longer requires them to be kept open and to restore the surface as far as practicable to its original condition. A licence holder is, also, required to apply for planning permission for any work which would require such permission.
Officers of the Geological Survey of my Department visited this site in recent weeks and have advised me that the work in progress is on the side of Croagh Patrick not normally traversed by pilgrims and that it is being carried out in a manner sensitive to the significance of the general area.