James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil will be supporting the motion. We firmly believe Ireland should immediately ban mercury mining. I have just come from a briefing on the Minerals Development Bill which is due to proceed to Committee Stage tomorrow. Obviously, the motion is necessary to enable the amendments to be tabled.

Banning mercury is a crucial step towards maintaining the health of Ireland's people and its environment and towards fulfilling our commitments under the Minamata Convention. The convention, as adopted in 2013, is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The focus is on mercury which is a naturally occurring element commonly found in everyday objects and which is emitted into the atmosphere, soil and water through a variety of means. Controlling the human sources of releasing mercury throughout its lifecycle has been a key factor in shaping the provisions under the convention. Fianna Fáil is a strong supporter of the convention and other protections of the environment. We recognise that the health, well-being and livelihoods of millions of Irish people, from those in fishing and agriculture to those involved in tourism and beyond, are intricately intertwined with their environment. If we jeopardise that environment, we jeopardise those communities, their employment and so much more.

The provisions of the Minamata Convention effect a ban on new mercury mines, the phasing out of existing ones, the phasing out and phasing down of mercury use in multiple products and processes, control measures for emissions to air and releases to land and water and the regulation of the informal sector of small-scale gold mining. While there is no primary mercury mining occurring in Ireland, there are insufficient protections to ensure this will not change. Therefore, an explicit ban on mercury mining is needed in order to bring us into compliance with the convention. I am aware of the timelines required in order to process the amendments on Committee Stage of the Minerals Development Bill tomorrow. Fianna Fáil and I are very happy to support the motion which I recommend to the House.

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