As Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, I have no role in relation to the importation of cobalt. However, I will shortly be proposing to Government a Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining, seeking the adoption of a set of principles, which will serve as a frame of reference for Ireland’s contribution to the development of EU policy. The statement has been finalised following consideration by the Advisory Group on Mineral Exploration and Mining of proposed changes in response to submissions on the consultative draft. The membership of the Advisory Group on Mineral Exploration and Mining is drawn from the Environmental, Industry and Social Pillars as well as government departments and regulatory bodies.
Materials management and the sustainable and responsible sourcing and use of critical raw materials, including cobalt, are central to our vision for minerals and mining in Ireland and are key components of the circular economy transition. Cobalt is included on the 2020 List of Critical Raw Materials accompanying the European Commission's Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials: ‘Critical Raw Materials Resilience: Charting a Path towards greater Security and Sustainability', which also considered the use of critical raw materials for strategic technologies and sectors from the 2030 and 2050 perspectives. The Action Plan proposes actions to reduce Europe's dependency on third countries, diversifying supply from both primary and secondary sources and improving resource efficiency and circularity while promoting responsible global sourcing. Discussions are also ongoing with the European Commission on how best to boost the EU’s indigenous raw material supply and processing capabilities. There is mineral potential for cobalt in Ireland, as there has been reporting of high concentration occurrences of cobalt.
